Relief from chronic pain available

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- The simple act of taking a walk is something most people take for granted. But for people like Linda Briones, who suffers chronic pain from a degenerative spinal disc disease, even that minimal amount of effort can be excruciating.

The problem is widespread, according to the American Pain Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping pain sufferers understand their situation and get appropriate treatment. More than 50 million Americans deal with chronic pain, at a cost of more than $100 billion annually.

	VIDEO
CNN's Don Knapp looks at some of the new treatments for chronic pain sufferers Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Doctors can help patients manage their pain with treatments ranging from morphine pills to drug pumps to high-tech electrical nerve stimulators.

But Dr. Elliot Krames, who treats Briones, said too few doctors make use of these techniques. Too few doctors actually practice pain management as a specialty, he said, and stringent narcotics regulations prevent many physicians from prescribing morphine and other potent drugs.

CNN Correspondent Don Knapp examines some of the issues surrounding chronic pain management.

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American Pain Society
International Association for the Study of Pain
American Pain Foundation

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