MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proclaimed September Pain Awareness Month. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chronic pain is America’s primary cause of lost workdays. It affects more people than cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined.
To raise awareness about the effects of chronic pain and help keep people from missing work due to pain, Advanced Pain Management (APM), the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) and the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) joined efforts to get September proclaimed Pain Awareness Month by the Office of the Governor. Through this proclamation, doctors with APM and representatives of ASPMN and ACPA hope to facilitate an improved quality of life for those suffering from pain and increase their access to appropriate pain management treatment.
“Pain is a costly epidemic that causes millions of Americans to suffer and millions of dollars’ worth of employee productivity to be lost,” said Dr. Yogendra Bharat, medical director of Advanced Pain Management. “Pain Awareness Month is intended to get Wisconsinites to recognize the symptoms of pain and get appropriate relief so they don’t have to miss work or other activities.”
According to Bharat, the most common type of pain is lower back pain, followed by severe headaches or migraines. It is estimated that 80 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.
In addition to the proclamation, APM will raise pain awareness through its second annual Pain Awareness 5K Run/ 3K Walk in metro Milwaukee. All proceeds from the Pain Awareness Run/Walk will benefit the American Chronic Pain Association. The walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, at 9 a.m. More information can be found at www.painawarenessrun.com.
Advanced Pain Management is one of the largest pain management groups in the country, with more than 25 board-certified/eligible physicians offering the most advanced techniques for pain control. Advanced Pain Management physicians operate out of more than 35 locations in Wisconsin, including metro Milwaukee, the greater Madison area, Racine, Sheboygan and Green Bay, as well as in Mankato, Minn. You can find Advanced Pain Management online at www.apmhealth.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.