Chronicle
The Chronicle is published quarterly by the American Chronic Pain Association. Click below to view our most current newsletters or view past articles from the Archives page. Sign-up to receive future newsletters via email by clicking here.
March 2012 Chronicle
In this issue:
- Two Faces of Fibro: New surveys from the ACPA and Forest Laboratories find that people with fibromyalgia view themselves differently than the public does.
- Family Matters: Spouses, children, parents and other relatives are affected when a loved one has chronic pain. This issue focuses on how these people serve as vital caregivers.
- Caring for Family Caregivers: Those who care for people with chronic pain must also watch out for their own well-being. ACPA facilitators talk about how they relate to family members.
- Resources for Caregivers: People who live with pain depend on their caregivers, and caregivers can use many books and resources to help themselves.
- Workers' Compensation: An Orthopedic surgeon shares his ideas for improving the Workers' Comp system by redefining solutions related to ability and motivation.
- Veterans in Pain: Online and in-person support groups help veterans achieve a healthier lifestyle by learning to manage their pain.
- Research: University researchers in Pittsburgh collaborate to study chronic pain.
- Plus..., letters, new groups, tributes and thanks to our corporate sponsors..
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December 2011 Chronicle
In this issue:
- Relieving Pain in America: The new report from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine validates ACPA’s mission to help individuals with pain. The report calls for a cultural transformation in the way we teach, treat and understand pain.
- A Blueprint for the Future: Members of the IOM committee discuss their primary recommendations, emphasizing that pain management is a moral imperative that is best served with interdisciplinary and comprehensive approaches.
- Individual-Centered Care is Essential: Why complementary and alternative treatments for pain often succeed when other approaches don’t.
- Pain Awareness Month: ACPA support group leaders gain recognition for Pain Awareness Month in Maine and Pennsylvania
- Veterans in Pain: Online and in-person support groups help veterans achieve a healthier lifestyle by learning to manage their pain
- For Inspiration and Reflection: Two stories talk about the power of community and reaching out to others. We also review a Buddhist-inspired book that guides the chronically ill and their caregivers.
- Plus..., letters, new groups, tributes and thanks to our corporate sponsors..
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September 2011 Chronicle
September is Pain Awareness Month!
In this issue:
- The Financial Costs of Pain: Just as we manage the physical and emotional impact of chronic pain, we must also plan for how pain affects our finances.
- Living Well with Less: ACPA facilitators discuss how they cope with the economics of pain, and live happily while living frugally.
- Adjusting to Your Financial Future: When chronic pain limits your earning ability, you must plan for a different future.
- Members' Forum: Facilitators and members share their stories about living with pain, helping others, and fighting to stay well.
- Veterans in Pain: Veterans have to cope with economic casualties of war.
- Insomnia and Chronic Pain in Adolescents: Medical researches explore the connection between sleep and pain in young people.
- Medical and Research News: Updates on acetaminophen dosing, complementary and alternative therapies, and using the arts to manage pain.
- Plus..., book reviews, new groups, tributes and thanks to our corporate sponsors..
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June 2011 Chronicle
In this issue:
- Connecting Mindfulness and Pain: People with pain can listen to their bodies, be mindful of their emotions, and better manage their pain.
- Moment by Moment: ACPA facilitators discuss how they use meditation and relaxation practices to reduce stress and enjoy life.
- Self-Hypnosis Techniques: Basic hypnosis practices can help people with pain to relax and improve their sleep habits.
- Members' Forum: ACPA support group members discuss how attitude and self-awareness help them cope with their pain.
- Veterans in Pain: Veterans have their own support groups through the ACPA.
- REMS to Combat Drug Abuse: Learn more about the steps the federal government is taking to combat prescription drug misuse and abuse.
- Medical and Research News: Updates on research into pain's biological pathways, pain logs and other news.
- Plus…book reviews, new groups and how to honor someone special for Pain Awareness Month in September.
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March 2011 Chronicle
In this issue:
- Pain in the Workplace: Learn how people with pain can keep their jobs and remain productive when pain is their constant companion.
- Challenges of Working While Living with Pain: ACPA facilitators discuss how they adjusted their career goals and found meaningful activity when pain forced them to reassess their job prospects.
- The Value of Work in a Balanced Life: Pain can contribute to a medical disability, but accomodations can help you return to work.
- Talking About Pain with a new Employer: How those with chronic pain can face a new boss and coworkers.
- Don't let Your Job be a Pain: Changes you can make in your work environment to help you manage and avoid pain.
- Opioid Understanding Lags as Abuse Climbs: An ACPA survey reveals that often people who use opioids don't understand enough about the drugs to ensure safe use.
- Plus…poetry, new groups, tributes and thanks to our corporate sponsors.
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