In The News
- Pain task force hosts first day of final meeting
- Participate in the final meeting of the federal task force on pain
- How pain impacts sleep
Today, the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force–a high-ranking group convened by Congress and overseen by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)–held the first part of its last public meeting to finalize a report on improving pain care in America. The task force, comprised of 29 members, includes Cindy Steinberg, U.S. Pain’s National Director of Policy and Advocacy, the only patient and patient advocacy representative.
An incredible 6,000 groups and individuals stepped up to give feedback on the draft report from the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force during the comment period that ended April 1. Among the groups was a coalition of pain-patient related organizations, including U.S. Pain Foundation, which submitted a united letter outlining their feedback.
On May 9 and 10, the task force will hold its last public meeting to vote on the final version of the report and discuss plans to disseminate it. The meeting will run from 10 am to 5:30 pm EST Thursday and from 9 am to 12 pm EST on Friday in Washington, D.C.
By Lisa Ann Smalls
Pain and sleep are two vital functions our bodies need to work effectively. Pain lets us know something is wrong somewhere in our system. Sleep gives or bodies the chance to restore and revitalize itself. The problem when pain impacts sleep is that it can become a vicious cycle – chronic pain can lead to a sleep debt, and not enough sleep can make pain worse.
The problem with pain and sleep
People with pain experience disruptions to sleep that are 80 percent worse than the rest of the population. Unsurprisingly, pain can make it difficult to fall asleep as well as stay asleep. According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, people suffering from chronic pain have a sleep debt of 42 minutes each night due to their pain, and people with acute pain have a sleep debt of 14 minutes per night. Over time, this sleep debt accrues. It can exacerbate a person’s pain, wreak havoc with their immune system, and even increase their risk of other chronic conditions, like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
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