WEST HARTFORD, CONN. — Sept. 2, 2025 — Chronic pain is not just a code in a chart or a number on a pain scale—it’s a life-altering, deeply distressing experience. More than 1 in 4 Americans live with daily pain—yet their suffering is too often dismissed, misunderstood, or overlooked. This September, the U.S. Pain Foundation launches Pain Awareness Month 2025 with a clear and urgent message: #ThisIsPain—and it’s time to take the mask off.

This year’s theme, Unmasking Pain: Because Pain Is More Than a Chart. It’s a Life, calls for a radical shift in how pain is understood, treated, and respected—not only in clinical settings, but across schools, workplaces, families, and communities.

“Behind every statistic is a person—often unheard, unseen, and disbelieved,” said Nicole Hemmenway, CEO of the U.S. Pain Foundation. “Unmasking Pain is more than a theme—it’s a call to action. We must confront the full scope of pain—how it reshapes lives, burdens families, strains caregivers, and challenges even the most compassionate health care providers.”

The campaign is grounded in data from the U.S. Pain Foundation’s recent national survey of more than 2,400 people with pain, caregivers, children and parents, and health care professionals. The findings reveal a stark reality: Pain is not just about symptoms—it’s about stigma, disbelief, and isolation.

Key findings include:

• 87% of adults have lived with chronic pain for more than five years
• 93% say pain significantly limits physical activity
• 88% report anxiety or depression directly tied to their pain

Pain often begins early. Nearly half of surveyed youth experience daily pain, yet only 9% always feel believed. Among children:

• 70% miss significant school time
• 89% feel lonely
• Many are told it’s “just growing pains,” delaying care and deepening trauma

The burden on parents is profound. More than 40% have left the workforce to provide care, and many are fighting two battles at once. Over half neglect their own physical health, and 61% live with chronic pain themselves—a dual toll made even harder by the lack of formal support.

Caregivers—often the unseen lifelines—face immense strain:

• 94% report emotional distress
• 73% have lost income due to caregiving
• 83% want peer support but struggle to find it

Even health care providers feel underprepared:

• Only 50% feel adequately trained in pain care
• Just 17% have strong trauma-informed or culturally responsive training
• 92% want more education on pain management

The Call to Action

Throughout September, U.S. Pain Foundation will share daily statistics, weekly articles, and firsthand stories through its website and social media platforms. The campaign will offer new tools and survey reports for policymakers, professionals, and families.

This Pain Awareness Month, the U.S. Pain Foundation urges the nation to unmask the complex reality of pain—not just the physical symptoms, but the emotional toll, relational impacts, and systemic failures. It’s time to treat pain as the biopsychosocial condition it is.

For more information about the #ThisIsPain initiative, visit uspainfoundation.org/painawarenessmonth.

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About U. S. Pain Foundation    
The mission of the U.S. Pain Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals living with pain, as well as their care partners and clinicians. Visit uspainfoundation.org.