• One in four Americans - 75 million people - live in chronic, debilitating pain. Many have endured years of agony and undergone two or more failed surgeries seeking pain relief.
• Chronic pain accounts for more than 80 percent of all physician visits and yet the majority of providers have little or no training in pain medicine and management.
• Pain costs the nation an estimated $70 billion a year in medical claims, disability payments and lost productivity.
• Despite the physical and financial toll, millions of people suffer needlessly, unaware of effective pain-management options.

The National Pain Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1998 to advance functional recovery of persons in pain through information, education and support. The NPF is built on the belief that early intervention of pain conditions can positively change the direction of a person's life. The organization was created to serve the 75 million Americans living with chronic pain. The NPF recognizes that pain is real. It is a disease in and of itself that needs to be diagnosed and managed as comprehensively as any other disease. Our goal is to empower patients by helping them become actively involved in the design of their treatment plan, exploring both traditional and complementary approaches to pain management. The guidance and direction provided by its founders and Board of Directors has made the NPF and its web site, www.nationalpainfoundation.org, one of the premier sites providing accurate and reliable information and community support to persons in pain.

The NPF provides a virtual community for pain patients, their families and friends. Through our Web site, www.nationalpainfoundation.org, information and resources are presented in an interactive way that encourages patients to take an active role in the management of their chronic pain. The My Pain section of the web site is unique in that it includes a Personal Inventory section to help pain patients identify the information they need to manage their pain in the most understandable way.

In the near future, the NPF will gather information from the site to further substantiate tried and proven pain treatment methods and to predict trends in the field of pain management.

The NPF Board of Directors is comprised of some of the nation's leading authorities in pain treatment and management. All information distributed by the NPF is peer-reviewed by NPF Board members and other professionals who are highly qualified in their respective fields. This means that the information about pain conditions created by the NPF is both up-to-date and accurate.