MEDIA ADVISORY - Rallying together to ease the pain: ACTION Ontario brings
together patients and experts to discuss the needs of Ontarians with chronic
pain

TORONTO, Nov. 8 /CNW/ - Neuropathic pain is a type of pain that results from injury or disease of the nerves, spinal cord or the brain. More than one million Ontarians suffer from this type of pain as a result of multiple sclerosis, trauma to the spinal cord, diabetes, shingles, AIDS, breast cancer and a number of other conditions. This form of chronic pain is so debilitating that patients are often unable to sleep, drive, work, or undertake normal daily activities. It's estimated that the economic burden of the condition is more than one billion dollars each year in Ontario alone. This includes direct medical costs as well as indirect costs such as the loss of productivity and resource use. The economic burden of all chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain and headaches, is $2-3 billion for Ontario.

ACTION Ontario, a not-for-profit organization comprised of doctors, other healthcare professionals, researchers and patients, is bringing people together to share ideas on how our health system can more effectively meet the needs of people suffering from neuropathic pain and other forms of chronic pain and to develop possible solutions to help address this debilitating problem.

What:	Patient Input for System Change — A Symposium on Neuropathic Pain
Where:	MaRS Centre Auditorium
	101 College Street, Toronto
When:	Tuesday, November 9, 1:00-4:30 p.m.

Interview opportunities:

• Dr. Angela Mailis-Gagnon - founder and director of the Comprehensive Pain Program at Toronto Western Hospital and Chair of ACTION Ontario
• Veronica Dunlop, patient - Currently 17 years old, Veronica has suffered from chronic pain since breaking her ankle at the age of nine
• Will Geerts, patient - Will has suffered from debilitating neuropathic pain since breaking his toe. He met with 40 doctors before finding a physician who could treat his condition
• Ann Tuzi, patient - A case of shingles forever altered Ann's life, causing her to develop post-herpetic neuralgia. Ann is unable to work and unable to talk or move when the pain is at its worst
• Phil Frampton - the challenges of dealing with his wife's chronic pain - the caregiver perspective
• Dr. Paul Taenzer - Developing a Systemic Approach to Chronic Pain Management: The Alberta Experience

For further information:

Laura Greer
Hill & Knowlton Canada
[phone]
[email protected]