Briefing on Pain - June 13, 2006

Report on Congressional Briefing on Pain held on June 13, 2006

The Congressional Briefing on Pain held June 13, 2006, on Capitol Hill was attended by over 100 congressional staffers and pain advocates. The room was packed and over-flowing into the hall, as Rep. Mike Rogers, Rep. Charlie Norwood and featured speakers passionately shared the facts about pain, the personal and economic impact of this "silent epidemic," and the critical need for federal pain policy and legislation.

Congressman Rogers welcomed the audience and challenged people to learn about the healthcare crisis of the undertreatment of pain and to join forces in support of H.R. 1020, the National Pain Care Policy Act (introduced by Congressman Rogers). This "silent epidemic" is destroying the lives of over 50 million Americans and costing $100 billion in lost productivity. Congressman Norwood, a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke of his commitment to the millions of people suffering daily, the need for "balanced" pain policy and his concerns about abuse and illegitimate internet sales.

Dr. Howard A. Heit, a physician and person living with chronic pain, dependent on a wheel chair and body brace, shared his personal story and his life's work. Dr. Heit treats both patients with pain and patients with the disease of addiction. Dr. Heit raised the question - "why is pain not treated with medications approved by the FDA and consistent with state and federal regulations?" He discussed the barriers to pain management, such as, the confusion between physical dependence and addiction, inadequate education in pain and addiction, and the fact that the "balance" has been lost between preventing abuse and diversion and ensuring the availability of strong pain medications for medical purposes, "for all patients who need them for the relief of pain."

Dr. Rollin M. Gallagher, the Director of the Center of Pain Medicine, Research and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Director of Pain Management at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, urged the support of H.R. 1020, the Pain Care Policy Act. He said it will address the "enormous impact of chronic pain on our economy, and the suffering that chronic pain causes people, families and business and yes, taxpayers." He discussed the impact for veterans, trying to restore life, "following blast injuries causing severe tissue and nerve damage that leave them in a state of permanent severe pain" and "it is the pain that prevents them from resuming a reasonable quality of life, a productive life."

Mary Vargas, JD, a disability rights attorney and chronic pain patient who spent the past ten years advocating on behalf of pain patients while struggling to receive care for herself, provided a vivid and moving account of what it really means to be one of the fifty million, whose lives are being ravaged by a pain. She spoke of how statistics are so "sanitized and simplified, and so unimaginable when looking at the impact of untreated or undertreated or inappropriately treated pain in just one of those fifty million." Her journey has included "16 doctors with countless specialties (an average number for pain patients), hospitals in four states, three physical therapy practices, numerous procedures - too many to count," as well as 8 surgeries and thousands of dollars, not covered by health insurance. Vargas spoke of the "fight of her life, just to receive care" and the additional barriers she has encountered, such as a lack of education of healthcare professionals, "their palpable and unabashed fear of enforcement by the DEA," her difficulty in getting prescriptions filled and enduring the stigma of being a pain patient.

All speakers expressed gratitude to Congressman Rogers for introducing the National Pain Care Policy Act and urged all who attended to become active in the fight to assure that healthcare providers are educated and "care is based on solid medicine, not fear", that critically needed research and public awareness are funded, and that everyone of the 50 million Americans with untreated or undertreated pain "deserve to have hope that they will wake up one day to a life that is not dictated by pain".

All attendees received a folder of information with pain facts, statistics, personal stories (from the American Pain Foundation's Voices of People in Pain) and pertinent articles.

Thank you to Congressman Rogers and all individuals and organizations that helped to make this Congressional Briefing on Pain a success. Together we will make a difference!