Pain & Symptom Management

Welcome to the Pain Management web site.  This web site was developed to increase the general public's and health professional's awareness of pain and symptom management. It provides information in the form of professional papers, articles, related statutes, and numerous links to organizations with expertise in the area of pain and symptom management.

Pain is a universal problem that affects millions of people regardless of social, economic and cultural considerations.  In a 1997 survey of Michigan residents sponsored by the Pain Education Fund at Chelsea Community Hospital, one in five Michigan adults reported experiencing some form of chronic pain, and 40% of people with chronic pain say the pain affects their ability to live a normal life.  The American Academy of Pain Medicine estimates that over 75 million Americans live with serious pain.

Appropriate treatment saves lives, reduces pain and suffering, decreases hospital stays and saves money by reducing overuse of health care resources.  Pain is a personal experience and unique to each individual.  Pain may include a range of physical and mental sensations, such as aching, tightness, numbing and burning.  These sensations may vary in severity, persistence, source and duration.