USA TODAY and ABC News to Report Special Series on Pain

USA TODAY and ABC News to Report Special Series on Pain

MCLEAN, Va., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 1 in 5 Americans suffers from chronic or recurrent pain, at an estimated cost of $100 billion annually in lost productivity and increased healthcare. Pain causes more disability than cancer and heart disease combined, yet there are less than 200 centers across the US that focus on pain management. Studies suggest that roughly half of all Americans who suffer from chronic or recurrent pain simply cannot find a good solution. Pain in children is also an emerging concern, with as many as 20% of kids who undergo surgery each year developing chronic pain that lasts long after the body has healed.

With so many Americans affected by chronic pain, USA TODAY and ABC News will examine the issue in a week-long series beginning Sunday, May 8 on ABC and Monday, May 9 in USA TODAY. The series, "The Fight Against Pain" will report on the causes of pain, the impact it has on our lives, work, family and even our mental outlook, and the new and promising treatments on the horizon. USA TODAY and ABC News will also look at what can be done to better educate and assist those struggling with pain and explore the types of resources available for them.

USA TODAY's coverage of pain will be reported in the newspaper's News and Life sections and on USATODAY.com beginning May 9 and continuing each day for the entire week.

This special coverage will be reported on ABC News broadcasts and platforms including "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings," "Good Morning America," "Nightline," ABC News Radio and ABCNews.com. ABC News affiliates across the country will also participate.

The week's coverage will include the release of an exclusive national public opinion poll on pain co-sponsored by USA TODAY, ABC News and the Stanford University Medical Center. Developed in consultation with nationally recognized pain specialists, the survey breaks new ground in measuring the extent to which Americans suffer from pain -- in frequency and severity alike -- and their strategies and successes in dealing with it. Portions of the survey will be posted on USATODAY.com and on ABCNews.com along with an interactive format on both websites that will let users compare their pain experiences with the survey's nationally representative results.

Among the issues the series will explore:

* Effective ways to control pain * The search for the next miracle drug * What is a pain specialist -- and why your regular doctor may not be trained to handle pain * Alternatives to surgery and pills -- relaxation exercises, deep breathing, distraction techniques and other behavioral treatments * How to treat chronic pain in children * Innovative new treatments for pain

Source: USA TODAY

CONTACT: Steve Anderson of USA TODAY, +1-703-854-5872; David Reiter of ABC News Editorial, +1-212-456-3484; or Cathie Levine of ABC News Media Relations, +1-212-456-4934

Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/ http://www.abcnews.com/

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