ANN ARBOR, MI – Pain drives more people to the doctor, keeps more people out of work, and goes without adequate treatment more often than any other condition. But it doesn't have to be that way, say University of Michigan Health System pain experts. They're launching a month-long effort to help people in pain, as well as the people who love them, and the people who take care of them, understand pain and the many ways to ease it.

UMHS is considered a national leader in pain research and care, and many of its efforts go on year-round. But in honor of the national Pain Awareness Month during September, UMHS pain professionals have put together a month of special events for medical staff, patients and loved ones to spotlight many aspects of pain and pain treatment.

A “wishing well” for people in pain:

Wishing can't make pain go away, but knowing someone is thinking of you can do wonders for a person in pain. All month, UMHS staff, patients and visitors will be able to drop messages, thoughts, and prayers into a sort of “wishing well” for pain patients, using slips of paper labeled “Kiss Your Pain Goodbye.” Some of the wishes will be posted online, without names and with the permission of those who wrote them.

Understanding pain through research:

UMHS researchers use many scientific techniques to try to understand how and why people experience pain, and how best to deliver treatment. Carmen R. Green, M.D., director of the U-M Acute Pain Service and a member of the Center for Interventional Pain Medicine, will give a lecture on her work on variations in pain and pain treatment among different genders, ethnicities and races. Daniel Clauw, M.D., director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, will present his team's work in understanding how individual variations in pain response may help improve diagnosis and treatment. Susan Urba, M.D., a cancer specialist who focuses on easing pain for terminally ill patients and serves as medical director for Arbor Hospice, will speak about improving palliative care at the end of life.

Drawing and painting your pain away:

An unusual kind of temporary art gallery will open in early September in the halls of the U-M hospital complex. On display will be paintings, drawings and other artworks made by U-M patients as a way of expressing what their pain feels like, and how it feels to get relief from the advanced pain care available at UMHS.

Kids and pain — How to know, and help, when it ouches:

Several events during the month will focus on helping parents and medical staff at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital learn how to recognize and care for pain among children. The staff of Child and Family Life Program will teach two sessions of techniques on helping kids cope with pain, one for medical professionals and the other for parents. Richard Solomon, M.D., a behavioral pediatrician, will educate medical staff about a behavioral approach to helping sick children deal with the constant needle “pokes” that many of them fear but must endure as part of treatment.

Can dogs and music ease pain?

Medications do a lot to stop the hurt of chronic, acute and cancer pain, but other “treatments” seem to go a long way too. For example, a harpist from the UMHS Gifts of Art program visits patients each day to play her soothing music in their hospital rooms, and the Bedside Music program is expanding to include a guitarist and a viola player for 35 hours of individual music therapy a week. Meanwhile, trained dogs from the Therapaws of Michigan organization bring their furry good cheer to many patients each week. During Pain Awareness Month, harpist Julie Hussar will demonstrate and discuss how music can help with pain management, and Therapaws teams will talk about how the simple act of petting a dog can bring relief. Also on the schedule are sessions about meditation in pain management, and other complementary non-medical techniques.

Caring for those who care for people in pain:

Those who take care of people in pain know that managing their mix of medications and other treatments is time-consuming, stressful, and never done. As part of Pain Awareness Month, nurses on all shifts will get a visit from the Comfort Cart, which will bring soothing music, lotion and snacks to their work areas. They'll also be able to attend a special session designed to bring them up to date on the latest advances in pain treatment. And all medical staff will get sweet treats and a chance to win a free chair massage, along with helpful reference cards that can help them remember to treat pain as the “fifth vital sign” and treat it appropriately.

Note to editors: To attend or cover any of the following events and initiatives, please call UMHS Public Relations at 734-764-2220 to find out dates and times. If you'd like other story ideas relating to pain, or specific pain-producing conditions, please let us know.

Contact: Kara Gavin

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