Pain Awareness Month 2026
September: Pain Awareness Month
September is recognized around the world as an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of pain, pain management, and the experiences of people living with pain. Throughout the month, pain societies, healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, and communities share reliable and evidence-based information to improve understanding of pain and highlight the importance of diagnosis, treatment, education, and research.
Pain Awareness Month at the Iranian Pain Society
In alignment with the international pain community, the Iranian Pain Society recognizes September as an important opportunity to promote public and professional understanding of pain, strengthen education, improve communication between people living with pain and healthcare teams, and support scientific research in the field of pain.
2026 Theme: Neuropathic Pain
In 2026, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has selected neuropathic pain as a central focus of its scientific and educational activities.
Four Weeks, Four Directions
Understand
Better pain care begins with better understanding. During the first week, the focus is on neuropathic pain, its impact on people’s lives, advances and challenges in diagnosis and treatment, and the psychological and social factors associated with the condition.
Advocate
Effective pain care requires meaningful communication, shared decision-making, and recognition of the patient’s lived experience. Both people living with pain and healthcare professionals have important roles in creating constructive conversations about pain and its management.
Partner
The lived experience of people with pain represents an important source of knowledge. Meaningful collaboration among patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals can contribute to more relevant research and more effective approaches to pain care.
Advance
Awareness becomes meaningful when knowledge leads to action. Continuing education, scientific research, knowledge exchange, and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential for advancing pain science and improving pain care.
What Is Neuropathic Pain?
Neuropathic pain is caused by damage or disease affecting the nerves or neural pathways responsible for sensory information. It may be experienced as burning, electric shock-like pain, shooting pain, tingling, numbness, or abnormal sensitivity to touch.
Recognizing neuropathic pain is important because its underlying mechanisms differ from many common musculoskeletal, joint, or inflammatory pain conditions, and its assessment and management may require specialized approaches.
For Patients and Families
Understanding the nature of pain, keeping track of symptoms, clearly describing the pain experience to healthcare professionals, and participating in treatment decisions can all play an important role in pain care.
For Physicians and Healthcare Professionals
Pain Awareness Month provides an opportunity to review current scientific evidence, strengthen diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge, and promote collaboration among the different disciplines involved in pain research and clinical care.
From Awareness to Action
Improve our understanding of pain through rigorous science and evidence.
Support meaningful participation of people living with pain in their care.
Integrate lived experience into pain education, research, and improvements in care.
Advance knowledge through education, research, collaboration, and scientific exchange.
Official Pain Awareness Month Resources
Visit the official IASP website to explore scientific resources, fact sheets, educational materials, and international Pain Awareness Month activities.
This page is intended for public and professional education and awareness and is not a substitute for medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.
Iranian Pain Society