American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA)

The american chronic pain association was established by Penney Cowan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1980. Penney had taken part in the pain management project at the Cleveland Clinic and was eager to continue the skills she had well informed there when she returned to her daily life. Penney placed a notice in her church bulletin and after a short time found others whose lives were compromised by continuing pain. They began meeting as the first american chronic pain association support group. This one small group rapidly became many. Penney developed the first of the american chronic pain association manuals and other materials so that others could understand and maintain the skills that had been so key to maintaining her wellness. Today several ACPA support groups make contact across the US and in Canada, Great Britain, and many other countries. The ACPA’s distinctive materials are a primary resource for individuals seeking to improve the quality of their lives and for the experts who help them. For the last 30 years, the american chronic pain association provide people with the tools they need, in addition to what their health care providers offer, so that they can enhance their skills in the self-management of chronic pain. The ACPA focuses on helping the person with pain become an active companion on the health care team. ACPA has provide peer help and education in pain management to individuals with pain, family and friends, and health care professionals.