| A recent report from the May Day Fund calls for | | | | Chronic pain treatment needs major reforms to |
| chronic pain to be addressed in healthcare reform and | | | | enhance assessment, increase access to the right |
| better training of doctors on treating it because it is | | | | care, improve quality and equitable care, and cut |
| estimated that one out of every four Americans | | | | costs. Initiatives to address the huge public health |
| suffers from chronic pain. This ranges from | | | | problem of unrelieved chronic pain should be part of |
| headaches to back pain to joint pain. | | | | any discussion on reforming the health care system |
| The Mayday Fund, a family foundation dedicated to | | | | to enhance access and reduce costs. |
| reducing human suffering caused by pain, convened a | | | | The Secretary of the Department of Health and |
| special committee to explore issues related to pain | | | | Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, has said |
| and the practice of medicine. The panel of adult and | | | | that the current health care system both |
| pediatric pain experts, which included | | | | under-treats and fails to prevent chronic conditions, a |
| anesthesiologists, neurologists, primary care doctors, | | | | flaw that has contributed to spiraling medical costs. |
| emergency physicians, nurses, pharmacists, | | | | She said that better prevention and treatment of |
| psychologists, and patient advocates, deliberated at a | | | | such conditions would save the nation money by |
| one-day meeting held in Washington, D.C in June, | | | | preventing costly complications. |
| 2009. The report is an outcome of that meeting. | | | | Chronic pain must be addressed similarly to other |
| The panel of experts report that inefficiencies in | | | | chronic conditions. When the symptoms and their |
| treatment and inequities in care are creating what | | | | impact are not severe, the best practice should |
| they call an "epidemic of under-treatment." | | | | involve a primary care provider with the skills to |
| Some of the background as noted in the report: | | | | evaluate the cause and the nature of the pain, and |
| Chronic pain-commonly defined as pain persisting | | | | to implement a plan of care. But in severe cases, the |
| longer than six months-affects an estimated 70 million | | | | best practice may involve a group of interdisciplinary |
| Americans and is a tragically overlooked public health | | | | professionals, whose care is coordinated in a way |
| problem. The burden of chronic pain is greater than | | | | that addresses all facets of the illness and prevents |
| that of diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. | | | | complications. To manage chronic pain successfully, |
| Ongoing pain can also undermine overall physical, | | | | patients need a comprehensive assessment and, |
| psychological, and social well-being, and is a major | | | | when appropriate, access to a pain specialist. Chronic |
| cause of disability and costly health care utilization. | | | | pain patients might also need a team approach, one |
| Most people in pain, including those with chronic | | | | that includes physicians, nurses, mental health |
| symptoms, go to primary care providers to get relief. | | | | professionals, physical and occupational therapists, |
| But current systems of care do not adequately train | | | | pharmacists, and other health care providers. |
| or support internists, family physicians and | | | | Flexcin can help: |
| pediatricians, the other health care providers who | | | | Flexcin is helping thousands of people around the |
| provide primary care in meeting the challenge of | | | | nation find relief from chronic joint pain in a safe and |
| treating pain as a chronic illness. | | | | all-natural solution. The primary component of |
| Instead of receiving effective relief, patients with | | | | Flexcin(TM) is CM8(TM) (cetyl myristoleate). Of all the |
| persistent pain often find themselves in an endless | | | | ingredients in Flexcin, CM8(TM) is the most powerful. |
| cycle, seeing multiple health care providers, including | | | | CM8(TM) functions in three different ways. First, it |
| many specialists in areas other than pain, who are not | | | | acts as a highly effective lubricant in the joints, |
| prepared to respond effectively. | | | | muscles and other tissues, allowing them to move |
| Acute pain that is not adequately managed can | | | | smoothly. Decrease or loss of morning stiffness is |
| become chronic pain, leading to long-term disability, | | | | commonly noted shortly after commencing |
| complications and costs. For example, about one-third | | | | treatment. Next, CM8(TM) functions as an |
| of people in pain report that their pain is disabling and | | | | anti-inflammatory. Relief from swollen joints is often |
| has a high impact on their ability to function in daily | | | | seen after the 4th or 5th week of treatment. Third, |
| life. Research suggests that the high cost of | | | | it is also an immune system modulator, which can be |
| under-treated pain includes lost productivity. Pain is | | | | effectual against autoimmune diseases, such as |
| the second-leading cause of medically-related work | | | | arthritic conditions. CM8(TM) relieves joint pain at its |
| absenteeism, resulting in more than 50 million lost | | | | source, reducing inflammation and irritation of the |
| workdays each year. | | | | joints and tissues. It also has been helpful for many |
| Some of the Pain Committee's findings from the | | | | sufferers of muscle tension and fibromyalgia. |
| report: | | | | |