Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Proclamation
His Excellency Governor Deval L. Patrick
Whereas Pain is a major public health problem and is the number one reason Americans seek
medical care; and
Whereas More than 100 million Americans live with chronic pain as a result of serious illnesses and injuries; and
Whereas One in four adult and among minorities, twice that number, suffer from chronic pain in Massachusetts; and
Whereas Pain negatively impacts almost every aspect of a person’s life including the ability to work, sleep and engage in social activities as well as adversely impacts pain suffers’ families and caregivers; and
Whereas The National Institute of Health estimates that pain costs the United States public over $560 to $630 billion per year in medical expenses, lost wages, lost productivity and other associated costs; and
Whereas The Massachusetts Pain Initiative, the American Chronic Pain Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Management, the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, the American Society for Pain Management Nursing Eastern Massachusetts Chapter, Tufts University School of Medicine’s Program on Pain Research, Education and Policy and the US Pain Foundation are all working together in Massachusetts to remove the barriers to effective pain care for all Massachusetts citizens and eliminate the under treatment of pain,
Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim September 2012 to be,
Pain Awareness Month
By His Excellency
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts