Decade of Pain Control and Research

In late 2000, Congress passed into law a provision, which the President signed, that declared the ten-year period that began January 1, 2001, as the Decade of Pain Control and Research. The American Pain Society has actively supported the Decade of Pain Control and Research, and it has been a focal point for the development of numerous programs to advance awareness and treatment of pain and funding for research.

APS Decade of Pain Initiatives

National Pain Care Policy Act

Working in collaboration with its partners in the Pain Care Coalition (American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Headache Society, and American Society of Anesthesiology) APS has been active in advocating for the passage of the National Pain Care Policy Act, currently HR 1020. First introduced in 2003 as HR 1863 by Representative Mike Rogers (R- MI), the act calls for the establishment of six regional pain centers. Other provisions would

  • establish a White House Conference on Pain to raise awareness of pain as a significant national health problem and identify barriers to appropriate pain care.
  • create a pain and palliative care research and quality program within the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research.
  • ensure that American military personnel and veterans receive appropriate pain care services at VA healthcare facilities.
  • ensure that patients enrolled in Medicare managed care plans receive appropriate pain care.
  • authorize a public awareness campaign by HHS to educate patients, families, and other caregivers on pain care.

Representatives of APS have testified in Congressional hearings and called on Congressional representatives to inform them of the need for increased public resources to improve the plight of millions living with severe or chronic pain. (See related content and current status of the bill)

Annual Lectureship

APS has established an annual Decade of Pain Control and Research Lecture at its annual scientific meeting. Lecturers have included:

John Loeser, MD, The Decade of Pain Control and Research, March 20, 2003, 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting, Chicago

Michael Ashburn, MD and Mary Ellen Jeans, PhD, Influencing the Policy Agenda to Support Improved Pain Management, May 6, 2004, Joint APS and Canadian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver

David Joranson, MSSW, March 31, 2005, 24th Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston

Ronald Dubner, DDS, Pain Research: A Model for Translational Research in the 21st Century, May 5, 2006, 25th Annual Scientific Meeting, San Antonio

Journalism Award

In an effort to recognize and promote better reporting on pain issues, APS established the Kathleen Foley Journalist Award for Excellence in Pain Reporting. This award is presented annually at the APS annual meeting. Recipients of the award include:

2003: Modern Maturity, William Heavey
2004: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Philip Coulter
2004: Newsweek, Claudia Kalb, Anne Underwood, Karen Springen
2005: Arthritis Today, Jean Doran and Donna Rea Siegfried
2006: New York Times, Jane Brody
2007: Charleston Gazette, Scott Finn and Tara Tuckwiller

Small Grants Program

As part of its mission to provide resources for members interested in contributing to the evidence base for pain, APS has developed its Future Leaders in Pain Research Small Grants Program. This grant program was established to fund research projects of doctorally-prepared investigators who have not yet attained NIH RO1 level funding, with the purpose of adding to the body of knowledge on pain. The grants program was made possible by unrestricted grants from Endo Pharmaceuticals and Cephalon.

This grants program was launched in 2005, with three grants of $16,000. In its second year, funding was increased and five grants of $20,000 each were awarded. A committee of NIH-funded APS investigators served as a committee of reviewers for the grant applications. Grant recipients and projects APS has funded to date include:

2005 Grant Recipients

Barbara A. Hastie, PhD MA, University of Florida College of Dentistry: Ethnic Differences in Acute Pain and Analgesic Side Effects

Robert R. Edwards, PhD MSPG, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: Individual Differences in Pain Modulation as a Predictor of Long-Term Pain and Analgesic Use in Women Following Surgical Management of Breast Cancer

Susan G. Dorsey, PhD MS, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Nursing: Development of a Mouse Model of HIV Therapy-Induced painful Peripheral Neuropathy

2006 Grant Recipients

Marie Hoeger Bement, PT PhD, Marquette University: Acute Hormonal Fluctuations as a Mechanism for Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia in Women

Beth D. Darnall, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University: A Prospective Investigation of Immunologic Response to Negative Cognition in Persons with Chronic Pain

Jill C. Fehrenbacher, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio: Sex-dependent modulation of clinical outcomes following laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bryan C. Hains, PhD, Yale University: Supraspinal modulation of pain after SCI by microglia

Theodore J. Price, PhD, McGill University: Role of RNA transport and local translation in nociceptive processing

Professional Awareness and Education about Pain

Strategies to enhance provider awareness and competency in assessing and treating pain are an important part of the overall strategy for the Decade of Pain Control and Research. Two projects have been launched to bring tools to clinicians in primary care and specialty care settings. The first is Pain Control in the Primary Care Setting (link to Online store page), (©2006) a monograph delineating basic principles of pain assessment, diagnosis and treatment that includes a series of case studies and references to other resources.

A second initiative in progress is to convert Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain to a PDA format to widen its audience and enhance its usability. The guide is a popular handbook covering indications and uses of both opioid and nonopioid analgesics, including dosages and side effects management. The PDA launch is anticipated to occur concurrent with the publication of the 6th edition of the guide, in 2007.