Olympic Games Gold Medalist Nikki Stone Shares Personal Story

MONTCLAIR, N.J., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ — The American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE) launches today the third and final of a three-part educational Webcast series: Making Sure Your Relationships Aren't Pained When You're in Chronic Pain at www.painawareness.org. This Webcast addresses the psychological effects of chronic pain, in particular the stress it may cause on everyday relationships.

WHO:

     --  Aerial skiing Olympic Games Gold Medalist and persistent chronic pain         sufferer Nikki Stone recounts how chronic pain affected her personal         relationships with her boyfriend, parents and friends.     --  Dr. Michael Schatman, Clinical Psychologist, Overlake Hospital Medical         Center, provides tips on how to manage relationships while suffering         with persistent chronic pain.

All experts featured in the Webcasts and Nikki Stone are paid consultants for PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

WHY:

Stress may cause all types of problems, including a negative impact on relationships. However, for 50 million Americans suffering with persistent chronic pain, stress caused by chronic pain may put added pressure on personal relationships. The psychological impact of chronic pain on relationships was underscored in the recent PriCara(R) Chronic Pain Barometer online survey of 500 American chronic pain sufferers 18 years and older:

     --  Approximately 68 percent agreed that their chronic pain causes stress in         their families.     --  The survey found that 60 percent of all respondents stated that their         chronic pain has had a negative effect on their relationship with their         spouse or partner, whereas 75 percent of these respondents ages 31-40         reported the same.     --  Nearly three-quarters (71%) of those surveyed who are married reported         that they agree that their chronic pain caused a lack of intimacy.

The Webcast series was developed to address everyday concerns of those who suffer with persistent chronic pain and covers topics such as exercise, weight control and relationships, including intimacy. The first and second Webcasts are currently archived at www.painawareness.org.

Note: Funding for ASPE and the Webcast series was provided by PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All experts featured in the Webcasts and Nikki Stone are paid consultants for PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About Nikki Stone, First American Inverted Aerial Skiing Olympic Games Gold Medalist

Nikki Stone understands what it is like to live with persistent chronic pain, after experiencing a back injury from a skiing accident. Months after the injury, Nikki's pain continued on a daily basis and made it difficult for her to perform even simple activities. Her doctor diagnosed her as having persistent chronic pain and worked with her to develop a pain management plan. The plan that worked for Nikki included a prescription medication, which helped manage her pain so that she could participate in physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in her back. With the combination of medication, physical therapy, doctor supervision and tireless motivation, Nikki was able to work her way back to competing and became the first American to win a gold medal in inverted aerial skiing. Today, Nikki hopes to motivate others suffering with chronic pain to speak with their doctors to find a program to manage their pain.

About the Webcast Series

The Webcast series is featured on www.painawareness.org and will be archived for one year. This Webcast is meant for educational purposes only, and every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented is accurate. Information presented in the Webcasts is not intended to replace the care prescribed by a healthcare professional.

The opinions expressed in the Webcasts are those of the speakers, presenters and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and may not necessarily reflect the positions of the ASPE, or the Webhost. The appearance of the ASPE name and logo in the Webcasts does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or information mentioned. The ASPE does not imply discrimination against other similar products or services.

Funding for ASPE and Webcast series was provided by PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The PriCara(R) Chronic Pain Barometer survey was conducted online from March 28-31, 2008, in partnership with HCD Research, Inc. on behalf of PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and involved 500 American adults, ages 18 and older, who self-identified as suffering from chronic pain.

About the American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE)

The ASPE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional organization dedicated to improving the standards of clinical pain practice. The goal of the ASPE is to promote optimal quality of life and physical functioning for pain sufferers by providing high-quality pain education training and continuing education programming for healthcare professionals.

The ASPE also provides educational opportunities for clinicians who wish to become Certified Pain Educators (CPEs). CPEs serve as specialized resources for pain management in their clinical settings, educating their professional colleagues–as well as patients, families and caregivers–on ways to relieve pain by the safest means possible. As the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires pain management education in all of its accredited institutions, the ASPE's goal is to eventually have a CPE in every JCAHO-accredited facility.

      Contact:     Redza Ibrahim     American Society of Pain Educators     Tel (973) 679-4485     ri@mededucators.com      Erin Carney     Ruder Finn Public Relations     Tel (212) 593-6358     Carneye@ruderfinn.com

SOURCE American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE)

Related Posts