MISSION STATEMENT
The U of MN Pain Consortium brings together researchers, clinicians, students and the broader community towards the shared goal of reducing the burden of pain through increased communication and collaboration in research and education. Within the Consortium collective, we strive to understand the mechanisms of various forms of pain with the ultimate goal being improved treatments which bypass the addiction pathways.
The universal phenomenon of pain causes tremendous human suffering and compromises individual quality of life and collective social productivity. Thirty percent of the U.S. population experiences chronic pain at some level. Of those affected, 50-60% are dramatically disabled for a few days, several months, or the remainder of their lives. Recent estimated pain-related financial losses exceed $100 billion/year. Control of pain is possible in some, but not all, chronic pain patients. Pain of neuropathic origin is often refractory to any traditional methods of treatment. At the U of M Pain Consortium, we are looking for ways to provide safe and effective relief for those impacted by chronic pain.
Improving understanding of pain mechanisms and developing safe and effective treatment options
The U of M Pain Consortium spans both collegiate and disciplinary boundaries at the University of Minnesota, including representation from the Medical School, the School of Dentistry, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Public Health, and the College of Education and Human Development. The U of M Pain Consortium provides the pain faculty a vehicle for carrying out some of the objectives of the International Association for the Study of Pain on a local level, including:
* To foster and encourage research of pain mechanisms and pain syndromes and to help improve the management of patients with acute and chronic pain by bringing together basic scientists, physicians, and other health professionals of various disciplines and backgrounds who have interest in pain research and management.
* To promote education and training in the field of pain.
* To inform the general public of results and implications of current research in the area.
The U of M Pain Consortium is generously supported by the Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, and the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs.
