National Pain Awareness Month: How You Can Help

September is National Pain Awareness month and there are so many ways to recognize it and get involved! Whether you personally struggle with pain or you know someone who does, you can participate. Pain awareness has been recognized in the month of September for almost 15 years, having started as a campaign and progressed to a nationally recognized month. The goal of this awareness is to show the world that although pain may not always be visible, it is still real. Help promote this awareness by getting involved. Here are 5 tips for how you can help

1. Donate Time: Set aside time to help those that you know are struggling with this invisible pain. Offer to make them a meal or to go on a walk and spend time with them. You can even volunteer at a local non-profit that focuses on chronic pain. Offer to fold pamphlets or stuff envelopes.
2. Donate Money: If you do not have time but you have the funds, donate to a pain organization. Oftentimes these organizations rely on donations in order to keep their doors open and share their resources. You may not be able to give them your time but giving money can help someone who may not have the resources to treat their pain condition.
3. Use Social Media: If you live with chronic pain, share your story. You can also request permission to share the story of a friend or family member. To spread the word, you can use hashtags of the organization or illness that you represent. Also, look to social media in order to find where there is a need. Search for people and organizations that need help and consider donating to their cause.
4. Connect With Other Pain Sufferers: As mentioned above, you can share your story through social media in order to help others and offer support. However, if you would prefer to speak at an event or have your story published, look into those options as well. By connecting with people who suffer from the same conditions, you can build a support system for yourself and those in need.
5. Organize An Event or Gathering: If you are an organized person who likes planning events, you can help raise awareness. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can put together a large event featuring a speaker or an organization, or, if you have little time, try hosting a casual event at your house or team up with a local coffee shop. Invite people to come, meet one another, and share stories. A smaller event can be a great way to spread awareness and resources.

Think about getting involved in National Pain Awareness Month. Do as much or as little as you can and then start preparing for next year! Let’s spread awareness together.

Recovia is a functional flex-care program that aims to maximize recovery for individuals suffering from chronic pain, injury, or dependency. The mission is to provide a compassionate, comprehensive, cost effective, and individualized functional rehabilitation program. For more information, please contact us at 480-712-4600 or visit our information page.

The advice and information provided herein is for educational purposes only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.