All About Pain: What Physicians and Patients Want You to Know

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September is Pain Awareness Month, and what better way to get the inside scoop from physicians and patients than connecting directly via social media?

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), a scientific society made up of more than 52,000 members, and the U.S. Pain Foundation, consisting of patients battling all different kinds of pain, co-hosted a Twitter chat on September 24. Together, they touched on the basics of pain management and treatment options that stretch beyond prescription drugs.

“Pain is one of the most challenging things to treat because its source can be elusive,” Richard Rosenquist, MD, chair of the ASA Committee on Pain Medicine, prompted in a news release. “That’s why it’s vital to see a physician specializing in pain medicine who can help identify the source of the pain and suggest which pain method might work best, including the more recent technical advances.”

The chat was led by members from both organizations, including:

Anita Gupta, DO, PharmD, of ASA
Robert Bolash, MD, of ASA
Paul Gileno, president of the U.S. Pain Foundation
Chris Power, a patient

With more than 100 Americans suffering from chronic pain, it’s time to start talking more about it. Take a look at some of the highlights and key takeaways from the discussion. To see the whole conversation, search #Pain101 and don’t forget to follow MD Magazine on Twitter.

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