National Pain Organizations Converge at PAINWeek(TM) 2008

MONTCLAIR, N.J., March 26 /PRNewswire/ — The American Headache Society (AHA), American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM), American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE), International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA), National Fibromyalgia Research Association (NFRA), National Stroke Association (NSA), National Vulvodynia Association (NVA), Nevada Psychiatric Association (NPA), Pain Society of Oregon (PSO), Rheumatology Nurses Society (RNS), Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (TNA), and Western Pain Society (WPS) have announced their organizational participation in PAINWeek 2008. Additionally, the Journal of Family Practice and http://www.painknowledge.com/ have joined PAINWeek as media partners.

This national conference on pain will take place at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas, September 4-7, 2008.

“Lack of pain management knowledge condemns people in pain to suffer needlessly. PAINWeek is the annual opportunity to resolve knowledge deficits and concerns, and empowers practitioners to care for patients with pain,” said B. Eliot Cole, MD, MPA, Executive Director of the ASPE, a founding PAINWeek participating organization.

PAINWeek 2008 offers more than 75 CE/CME hours across multiple topic tracks (eg, behavioral, interventional, neurology, pharmacy, and rheumatology). Among the course offerings will be the ASPE’s Pain Educators Forum, which will address the role of pain educators in various clinical environments, motivational interviewing, case-based teaching, and other topics that will emphasize “seizing the teachable moment.” This year, PAINWeek offers preconference courses on Wednesday, September 3, on health coaching, pharmacology, and the use of hypnosis to relieve chronic pain.

As in 2007, PAINWeek encourages its participating organizations to have a presence in the program schedule and on the exhibitor floor. Shanda Shribbs, Executive Director of the NFRA affirmed, “PAINWeek 2007 was a great experience for the National Fibromyalgia Research Association. We had strong participation at the presentations we sponsored and good attendee traffic at our exhibit booth. We’re planning to return in 2008 and expect it to be even better!”

Programs available for commercial support include Satellite Symposia, Special Interest Sessions, Meet-the-Experts Briefings, and Pain Assemblies (eg, Osteoarthritis, Headache, and Neuropathic Pain Assembly). Each Assembly comprises a minimum of 4 CE/CME hours. Poster Sessions will be available as well, with a recent Call for Abstracts issued this month. Further information can be retrieved at http://www.painweek.org/.

PAINWeek is primarily intended for frontline clinicians such as physicians, nursing professionals, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and podiatrists.

PAINWeek 2008

PAINWeek 2008 is a national conference that takes place during September Pain Awareness Month; it provides knowledge and tools for the frontline practitioner who treats patients in pain. The conference will convene at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, September 4-7, 2008. The mix of plenary and breakout sessions will provide clinical and practice management strategies for practitioners in the primary care setting.

Organizations, corporations, and media interested in partnership or sponsorship opportunities for PAINWeek 2008 are asked to contact Debra Weiner at dw@mededucators.com or visit http://www.painweek.org/. PAINWeek is jointly sponsored by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Medical Education Trust. Aventine HealthSciences, a medical communications company focused on neuroscience and pain, is the management company for PAINWeek.

Aventine HealthSciences

CONTACT: Debra Weiner, +1-973-233-4459, dw@mededucators.com, orRedza Ibrahim, +1-973-679-4485, ri@mededucators.com, both of AventineHealthSciences

Web site: http://www.painweek.org/http://www.aventinehealth.com/http://www.painknowledge.com/