WHEN IT COMES TO PAIN, FLORIDA IS HURTING

Our state is the nation's pain-suffering capital. And it will take more
than a kiss to make the costly problem better.

Why is this not surprising: Florida leads the nation in pain.

And it has nothing to do with jumping off condos into swimming pools or
trampling each other trying to snatch $2 bills out of the air.

A survey by the Florida Pain Initiative, a group of doctors, nurses,
pharmacists and other health care professionals, found Floridians are 32
percent more likely than the national average to be in some form of pain.

Three-quarters of Floridians who responded to the FPI poll said they suffer
pain at least monthly, compared to 57 percent of all other Americans.

Florida: arrive alive; and then find a drug store.

Gov. Jeb Bush designated September as Pain Awareness Month, but survey
proponents says pain management -- or the lack of it -- is a major health
care issue that is often dismissed as unimportant. The FPI calls it "a pain
epidemic." Among the consequences are a loss of productivity and feelings
of irritability and depression.

Yes, that would be Florida.

"It's hard to get the attention needed from a political standpoint, but
when we talk to patients and caregivers, they completely understand and
agree," said Jennifer Strickland, a clinical pharmacist and pain specialist
at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, and
president of FPI. "This truly does impact people, and because of the loss
of productivity, it impacts the state's bottom line."

Strickland said much of the pain is caused by serious illnesses such as
cancer, or by chronic conditions such as lower back pain or migraine headaches.

The problem is often made worse by undertreatment, misuse of medication, or
the stigma associated with living with pain.

"People don't want to be complainers," Strickland said. "They're stoics.
They don't want to be perceived as weak."

Especially the elderly, many of whom expect pain to come with age.

University of South Florida political science professor Susan MacManus, who
directed the study, said the state's sizeable senior population could
account for the large number of pain sufferers. However, she added, the
study also found that the largest percentage of sufferers were people in
the 30-to-49 age group.

"That's probably because baby boomers are not as stoic as the older
population," Strickland said. "But as baby boomers age, I suspect that will
change."

Strickland recommends those who suffer chronic pain find an empathetic
physician who understands their needs. "And learn how to describe your
pain," she said. "Use words like dull or sharp. And set realistic goals.
The pain may not be completely resolved by medication, so if you can, try
exercise or physical therapy to help."

Bob Welter, 48, of Palm Harbor, works as a senior technical officer at JP
Morgan Chase in Tampa. Years of running marathons led to severe
osteoarthritis in his right knee.

"Tylenol just wasn't making it, so I was using my girlfriend's pain
medicine," he said. "I needed it because my knee hurt so bad."

Welter changed doctors and got a prescription that allows him to at least
endure daily routines.

There was some encouraging news in the survey; nearly 80 percent said they
were very or somewhat satisfied that their pain has been relieved by the
treatment prescribed by a health care provider.

"At some point," Strickland said, "people have found relief."