Connecticut Cancer Pain Initiative Wants Barriers

To Effective Pain Relief Eliminated

MERIDEN — The American Cancer Society’s Connecticut Cancer Pain Initiative (CCPI) is bringing attention to the importance of effective pain management as it marks Pain Awareness Month this September.

 The Connecticut Cancer Pain Initiative is a voluntary interdisciplinary, grassroots organization composed of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, educators, regulators, clergy, and consumer advocates dedicated to improving the management of pain and to promoting quality pain control in Connecticut.

According to Pat Trotta, cancer pain initiatives manager for the society, “Relief from pain can aid a person’s recovery from injury, surgery, or disease and improve quality of life. Yet, despite the availability of effective medicines and treatment options, pain continues to be woefully undertreated.”

Pain is the most common reason people seek medical attention. More than 75 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and each year another 25 million experience acute pain as a result of injuries or surgery. Some 50 to 70 percent of cancer patients experience uncontrolled pain at some point during their illness.

 A survey conducted in 2004 found that one in three Connecticut adults experience pain on a daily basis while as many as three in five (60 percent) of Connecticut adults experience pain on a monthly basis. The Connecticut survey also found that 49 percent of those that live with persistent pain described their pain as moderate or moderate to severe. Survey respondents further reported that the impact of pain on their daily lives is significant, with a majority saying that pain causes loss of sleep, anxiety, and depression.

The American Cancer Society and the CCPI offer the following suggestions to help persons take control over their pain.

 Speak up! Tell your doctor or nurse that you’re in pain. It is not a sign of weakness to talk about your pain. Pain is a common medical problem that requires urgent attention; don’t be embarrassed to talk about it.

Describe your pain. Where and how much does it hurt? Use numbers from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain of my life) to rate the intensity of your pain. Use words like sharp, stabbing, dull, aching, tingling, and burning to describe how it feels.

Take active part in your treatment. It is your responsibility to tell your doctor you are in pain, take part in your treatment, follow your pain management plan, ask questions, and speak up if treatment is not working. Be persistent until you find what works for you.

Know the facts. Misunderstandings about pain and the medicines used for treatment often prevent patients from getting the relief they deserve. You should know that treatments are available to relieve or lessen most pain, that pain medications rarely cause addiction, and that most side effects from pain medications can be effectively managed.

(Adapted from Pain Action Guide, ©American Pain Foundation, 2000)

For more information and resources about how to control pain, visit the following websites: American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/pain; American Alliance of Cancer Pain Initiatives, www.aacpi.wisc.edu; American Pain Foundation, www.painfoundation.org; and the American Chronic Pain Association, www.theacpa.org.