NeuropathicPainNetwork

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THE NEUROPATHIC PAIN NETWORK LAUNCHES FIRST WEB SITE SOLELY DEDICATED TO PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH NERVE PAIN

- Neuropathic Pain Impacts Over 15 Million People in
Europe and the U.S. Alone -

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 15 October, 2004 – The Neuropathic Pain Network (NPN) today announced the launch of www.NeuropathicPainNetwork.org, the first Web site solely dedicated to provide support for people with neuropathic (nerve) pain. The Web site includes information about the NPN and background on neuropathic pain for people with the condition. The site is available in English, French, German and Spanish.

“The mission of the NPN is to actively support people with neuropathic pain, by enabling them to better cope with their pain, to obtain the best treatment and, ultimately, to improve the quality of their lives,” said Harry Kletzko, Chair of the NPN and Vice President of the German Pain League. “The new site will give the NPN a communications platform to provide important public education about the signs and symptoms of neuropathic pain as well as identify measures to combat this devastating condition.”

Neuropathic pain is characterized by a burning, tingling and/or shock-like sensation and results from an injury or disease of the nervous system that can be a challenge to manage. The pain can be so extreme that some sufferers find even the touch of clothing on skin triggers an unbearable burning pain. Nerve pain is often under-diagnosed and under-treated.

The NPN was launched in May 2004 and is currently comprised of seven organizations including the German Pain League, American Chronic Pain Association, Action on Pain, and Swedish Pain League.

The NPN is the first global coalition of organizations united in an effort to support people with neuropathic pain. The inaugural Steering Committee meeting of the NPN was recently convened at the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) to discuss ways to help people with neuropathic pain.

Current NPN Steering Committee Members

German Pain League (Deutsche Schmerzliga e.V.), Germany – Harry Kletzko, Vice President
American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), USA – Penney Cowan, Founder
Swedish Association for Pain (Svenska Smartforeningen), Sweden – Raymond Berggren, Chairman

Current NPN Members

Questions regarding the Neuropathic Pain Network should be sent to Harry Kletzko: kletzko@gaf-consulting.de

Steering Committee Member Biographies

	Dr. César Amescua Dr. César Amescua studied medicine in México City at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, from 1974 to 1980. After graduation worked a two year internship and then specialized in Anesthesia at the Hospital General de México.From 1984 to 1986. Studied two years of Pain Management at the Pain Clinic of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in México City where he later spent 3 more years as Coordinator of the Pain Clinic until 1989. He is Professor of Pain Management at the the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, school of Medicine. Dr. Amescua has worked with Cáncer patients, and neuropathic pain patients for 20 years and he has participated in more than one hundred medical meetings as an invited professor. Penney Cowan Penney Cowan is the founder and executive director of the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), www.theacpa.org. The ACPA provides peer support and education in pain management skills to people with pain and their families. The ACPA also works to build awareness about chronic pain among professionals, decision makers, and the general public. For the past 24 years, Penney has been an advocate and consumer representative for pain issues and lives with chronic pain herself. Harry Kletzko Harry Kletzko is vice president of the German Pain League, www.schmerzliga.de, the country`s largest pain organization for patients with chronic pain. He has a lot of experience in working with chronic pain patients and medical physicians. 20 years ago, he was a founder of the biggest German pain physician organization.


NPN Medical Advisor

	Dr. Dworkin Dr. Dworkin is currently chair of the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain, co-chair of the chair of the Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT), and chair of the International Conference on the Mechanisms and Treatment of Neuropathic Pain, which is held annually. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of Pain and Journal of Pain, and has served as a consultant to and member of the Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and as a member of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella Working Group and the Shingles Working Group of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005, he received the American Pain Society’s Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award for his contributions to the field of clinical pain research.