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US Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who sponsored the legislation, said this is the first time that pain research has been given this type of focus. “With more than 50 million Americans partially or totally disabled by pain, our nation faces a growing health crisis that threatens both our way of life and our economy,” he said in a news release.
Under the bill, the NIH director would need to identify how much federal money is spent on pain research and outline the agency's research objectives, the means for achieving those objectives, and the dates by which those objectives are expected to be achieved. The provisions are part of the NIH Reform Act of 2006 (H.R. 6164), which authorizes the work of the NIH and sets research priorities. The bill passed the House in September but still needs to be approved by the Senate.
Charles E. Argoff, MD, Director of the Cohn Pain Management Center at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, said the focus on pain research was a long time coming. “It makes perfect sense and it's past due that the NIH would be in a position to commit resources to understanding the causes and estimates in the treatment of chronic pain, because it's such a major American health concern.”
He also hopes that the AAN and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology will devote more of their educational efforts to helping neurologists better understand, assess, and treat chronic pain.
