Pain heads the list of reasons Americans seek medical treatment. Yet those suffering from pain often confront an array of obstacles to pain management. This is all the more reason to find a ray of hope in the bravery and advocacy of Casey Matthews, a 19-year-old Southern California student. Since Casey’s mother has been a victim of chronic pain since his earliest years, the impact of this affliction on his life has been immeasurable. However, the student perceived an opportunity to tackle the trauma in the form of the 2009 National Pain Care Policy Act, S. 660.

The proposed Senate bill would, among other things, identify impediments to successful pain care, assess the efficacy of pain treatment and management, and launch an action agenda for eliminating treatment and upgrading training. (Companion legislation, H.R. 756, passed the House of Representatives in late March.) In completing a political science assignment, Casey produced a video in support of the above measures. He is also delivering to the Senate a petition calling for urgent national action to combat pain and thereby improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. (To see the video or sign the petition, visit the American Pain Foundation at www.painfoundation.org/.) I strongly urge you to sign Casey’s petition; such expressions of collective support for attacking the problem of pain are of vital importance at a time when the debate over reform of the U.S. health care system is once more taking center stage.