National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association hails IOM report on pain

July 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Chronic pain affects an estimated one in four, or 116 million U.S. adults including approximately 10 million with fibromyalgia.  Medical treatment and lost productivity due to pain also costs the nation up to $635 billion each year.

To call attention to this national epidemic, the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association was among the nation’s top health professional and advocacy organizations hailing the historic Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report on pain released June 29 at a press conference and live webcast in Washington D.C.

NFMCPA President Jan Favero Chambers was in Washington, D.C. for the release of "Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education and Research."

“We appreciate the exceptional work of the IOM and the IOM Committee in producing this important document that identifies social stigmas and barriers to pain care and ways to overcome these obstructions,” said Favero Chambers. “"For the first time, fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients now have a strong united voice that outlines a blueprint strategy for health care professionals to adequately prepare and guide patients in self-managing chronic pain until underlying mechanisms of pain are researched which results in elimination rather than management of chronic pain.”

As the only member of the Pain Care Forum representing the fibromyalgia community, Favero Chambers will join select members of the committee returning to Washington, D.C. this week to further review the recommendations in the report.  

“Training and education of current and future knowledge of pain understanding are central to the IOM’s report, and we are strategizing how to begin the transfer of information to the medical community and public.  Patient organizations were charged with being an integral part of educating their constituents, health care providers, and policy makers.  We are calling for Congressional hearings to further educate our legislators to the sweeping pervasiveness of the costs of pain to society and our economy,” Favero Chambers said of the work ahead.

PHOTO: Dr. Sean Mackey (Member*), Jan Chambers, Dr. Phil Pizzo (Chair*), Rosemary Garza (*IOM Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education Committee) at release of IOM Pain Report June 29, 2011, Wash., D.C.

About the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association
Founded in 2010, the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to build a united patient and medical community to create a strong voice and organizational base to educate and execute advocacy programs regarding access to care, scientific research, diagnosis and treatment for people suffering with chronic pain from fibromyalgia and overlapping conditions. For more information, visit www.fmcpaware.org

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Founded in 2010, the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to build a united patient and medical community to create a strong voice and organizational base to educate and execute advocacy programs regarding access to care, scientific research, diagnosis and treatment for people suffering with chronic pain from fibromyalgia and overlapping conditions. For more information, visit www.fmcpaware.org.