WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chronic pain is a raging medical condition across the United States, and Senator Thad Cochran is joining an effort to eradicate that pain.
This act is getting support from both sides of the aisle.
Cochran is an original cosponsor of the Safe Treatments and Opportunities to Prevent (STOP) Pain Act. The act will direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to increase research into understanding and treating chronic pain as well as finding management alternatives other than opiods, as overuse of the drugs are an increasing epidemic.
“A better understanding of chronic pain can lead to better treatments that reduce the risk of drug abuse and addiction. This bill would give the National Institutes of Health greater ability to focus its resources on meeting this challenge,” Cochran said.
The STOP Pain Act would help the NIH to better coordinate fundamental, transitional and clinical research and improve nursing and doctor practices to manage pain. 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain each year, according to the National Academy of Medicine.
The bill was authored by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) join Cochran as co-sponsors.
