About the National Initiative on Pain Control® (NIPC®)



  About the NIPC


Mission of the NIPC

More than half of all Americans live with some form of chronic pain. Healthcare professionals are faced with the challenge of identifying safe and effective methods and treatments to provide optimal relief for these patients. Inadequate training among healthcare professionals specific to the appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and management of pain has led to an underassessment and undertreatment of patients with pain.

Established in 2001, The National Initiative on Pain Control® (NIPC®) is an integrated education initiative that provides clinical tools and information to assist healthcare professionals in improving management techniques and, ultimately, outcomes among their patients with pain. Through numerous educational venues, the NIPC offers innovative, interactive, and practical activities that support the Initiative's goals.


Educational Goals of the NIPC

NIPC educational activities highlight the burden of pain, provide guidance in pain assessment, and present cutting-edge clinical data supporting the use of various multidisciplinary management strategies, all with the aim of improving patient outcomes. Specifically, our educational goals are to:

  • Elevate the importance of managing the patient with pain by heightening healthcare provider awareness of the impact of pain on the patient’s daily living and societal burdens
  • Empower healthcare professionals to differentiate types of pain, resulting in improved diagnostic precision and therapeutic decision-making
  • Provide healthcare professionals with the latest advances and strategies in pain management, and enable them to translate clinical data into clinical practice utility
  • Emphasize the importance of tolerability, safety, and nontoxicity in selecting effective pain therapies
  • Address barriers to achieving pain control and common misconceptions regarding use of pain therapies


Distinguished Faculty of the NIPC

All NIPC programs are developed and continuously evaluated by the NIPC Education Council, an expert multidisciplinary team of specialists, researchers, and practicing physicians in pain management. The NIPC Faculty includes nationally respected experts in the pain management field.

Click here to learn more about NIPC’s distinguished faculty.


The NIPC Is Sponsored by the American Pain Foundation

The American Pain Foundation, the nation’s leading, independent nonprofit organization serving people with pain, has partnered with the NIPC to deliver high-quality educational programs and activities for healthcare professionals who care for patients with pain.

The American Pain Foundation is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization serving people affected by pain through information, advocacy, and support. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of people with pain by raising public awareness, providing practical information, promoting research, and advocating to remove barriers and increase access to effective pain management.