Pain Awareness Month 2025
UNMASKING PAIN.
This Pain Awareness Month, the U.S. Pain Foundation is shining a light on the hidden realities of chronic pain—because pain is more than a chart. It’s a life.
Through our 2025 initiative, #ThisIsPain, we’ll explore the physical, emotional, social, and financial toll of pain, amplify unheard voices, and advocate for compassionate care and real solutions.
Each week, we’ll publish articles spotlighting the lived experience of pain—from adults with chronic pain to children, caregivers, health care providers, and families. Each day, we’ll share findings from our most recent national survey across social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn) to reframe how pain is understood and treated. We’ll also release survey reports to push for better policies, stronger support, and meaningful improvements in care.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to engage with our #ThisIsPain campaign and help us unmask pain—because behind every statistic is a human story that deserves to be seen, believed, and supported.
Get Involved: 7 Ways to Make a Difference
This Pain Awareness Month
- Spread Awareness: Share our daily #ThisIsPain statistics and graphics on your social media. Help amplify the voices behind the numbers.
- Tell Your Story: Submit an op-ed to your local news outlet—or send it directly to us. Select stories will be featured on our website and social platforms to spotlight lived experience.
- Read & Share Weekly Articles: Each week, we’ll publish a new article highlighting key findings from our national survey. Share them to spark awareness and conversation.
- Explore the Data: Download our survey findings to understand the scope of pain in America—and use them to educate, advocate, and inspire change.
- Build Community: Join one of our online peer support groups. Connection is essential—and many are still searching for it.
- Advocate for Change: Contact your elected officials about policies affecting pain care. Share survey findings, and sign up for U.S. Pain Foundation advocacy alerts.
- Validate Someone’s Pain: Sometimes the most powerful action is simply listening. Reach out and remind someone with pain: They are seen, heard, and believed.
weekly Articles
Unmasking Pain: Because Pain is More Than a Chart. It’s a Life.
This Pain Awareness Month, we’re unmasking the hidden realities of chronic pain—beyond charts and scales—to honor lived experience and demand change.
Unmasking Pain: The Data
survey findings
#THISISPAIN
in the news
See how Pain Awareness Month is making headlines—highlighting the realities of pain and the voices behind the movement. Check out media coverage and stories exploring our #ThisIsPain campaign.
- My Daughter’s Pain Is Invisible: She Is Not — a blog written by Kari McBride for U.S. Pain Foundation
- Unmasking Pain in California: Why We Must See the Invisible — a blog written by Michele Rice for U.S. Pain Foundation
- September is Pain Awareness Month: What the Numbers Tell Us and What We Can Do — an article written by Tom Norris for Tom’s Substack
- The Cruel Side Effect of Chronic Pain: Severe Loneliness — Wise & Well. Medium. Randall Duckett
- How to Recognize Chronic Pain and Find Relief — TODAY Show
- Unmasking Pain: U.S. Pain Foundation Releases Landmark Data for Pain Awareness Month 2025 — PR Newswire
- Unmasking Pain: Why Connection Is Needed — an article written by Nicole Hemmenway for For Grace’s September story of the month
pain awareness month proclamations
This Pain Awareness Month, we mobilized our incredible volunteer network to request official proclamations from states, cities, and towns across the country. Thanks to their dedication, multiple proclamations were secured—each one a meaningful step toward recognizing the impact of chronic pain.
But whether or not a proclamation was received, the real victory lies in our shared commitment to elevating the voices of people with pain and advancing national awareness. We are deeply grateful to everyone who took part and helped shine a light on this invisible, yet life-altering, public health crisis.
VIEW PAST CAMPAIGNS
Each year tells a story. Revisit past themes that gave voice to pain.
The U.S. Pain Foundation extends heartfelt thanks to our 2024 and 2025 Corporate Council for their unwavering support. Their commitment to amplifying the voices of those living with pain made it possible for us to conduct a national survey and share powerful insights throughout Pain Awareness Month. Together, we’re unmasking the realities of pain—and driving change through compassion, data, and lived experience.
Amgen | Averitas | Eli Lilly | Kenvue | Lexicon Pharmaceuticals | Lundbeck | Primus Pharmaceuticals | Salix Pharmaceuticals | Sobi Pharma | Vertex Pharmaceuticals