The American Psychological Association (APA) is currently accepting public comments on its Draft APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Adults. The guideline focuses on recommendations for psychological, pharmacological and other common interventions for treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. It was based upon three systematic reviews and was developed by an APA guideline development panel composed of scientists, clinicians, and client/community representatives. All interested individuals and groups are invited to comment, including psychologists, health care professionals, researchers, clients/patients and their families, APA governance members, and the general public.
Interested in Providing Your Thoughts? AACIPM has received an invitation to comment on these guidelines. While we are putting together our response, we would be happy to hear from you regarding your thoughts on the draft guideline. Please share your feedback with amy@painmanagementalliance.org by November 17.
All comments must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm, Eastern Time, on Monday, December 4, 2023.
Current guidelines for treating chronic pain from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) emphasize psychological treatments as first-line therapy, yet most currently available options have only been shown to provide modest benefits. To increase effectiveness, the VA will be conducting a four year study to test a number of treatment options, including Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), group and video telehealth delivered treatments, and identification of mechanisms of response so that the most effective treatments are selected for each patient. The trial focuses on older Veterans, a currently understudied subset of patients living with chronic pain. Following the trial, the VA plans to share resources on treatments, findings, and lessons learned with both VA clinicians and the broader scientific community.
Aimed at providing older adults and adults with disabilities with education and tools to help them better manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, and depression, Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) programs have been supported by the Administration on Aging (AoA) for the past twenty years. Grantees provide a number of activities and community services through use of these grants, including: partnering with local agencies on aging, local health departments, rural clinics, and hospitals; implementing self-management programs people living with chronic pain and opioid abuse/misuse; and, securing reimbursement via Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.
In 2023, the AoA awarded 8 fully-funded cooperative agreements totaling nearly $5 million. New grantees include programs located in Michigan, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, and Texas.