Chronic Pain Institute

Pain in a Research Institute

By August L. Stemmer, MD, DMD, FACS
November 1,1999

To each his suff'rings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan;
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Thomas Gray 1716-1771

There are many pain clinics and even several institutes however we know of few that are devoted strictly to chronic pain and likely none that are dedicated solely to its research in order to achieve its complete eradication.

Recent, breakthrough, work with Cranial Nuclear Imaging has demonstrated that there is very likely a discernable difference between central, more chronic, and peripheral, more acute pain. This difference seems worthy of a better understanding, if for no better reason than to avoid frequent protracted treatment of prior peripheral origins of a pain that has progressed to require more concerted efforts at higher neurologic levels.

The Chronic Pain Institute has as its central theme that of both clinical as well as basic research in order to constantly in every way increase man's knowledge and improve the clinical abilities of all Health Care Practitioners.

Patients must demonstrate their awareness that the Institute takes on their case solely on the basis of its value to its central mission of research and not simply for treatment of their condition. They pay on the basis of their ability which is offset by the Institute's charitable donations.

The Chronic Pain Institute is a California Nonprofit For Public Benefit Corporation. It is made up of multispecialty disciplines covering many of the areas dealing with pain in its chronic form which is defined as lasting more than 60 days despite all previous efforts at therapy. Patients who are a part of any particular program are advised that although they may be temporarily in the untreated group using placebo they will be converted to the treated group prior to the completion of a study, but can not be guaranteed alleviation of their symptoms in all instances. They should always have a responsible primary care practitioner to approve of the Institutes' undertakings.

It receives donations from individuals and charitable groups as well as grants along with funds from some patients and their insurance companies. When diagnostic tests and actual treatment is performed third party payers are billed accordingly by the Institute or by the individual staff member from any one of the several locations which he or she utilizes . While its officers and staff are compensated to the best of the Institutes' ability much of their time must simply be kept on record for them as their contribution for tax purposes. Patients may be managed by the entire staff in concert for short studies or by any one member in his or her facility over an extensive period of time.

*Do you know someone with chronic pain or interested in the subject, but who may not be 'on line' yet? Why not print and send them a copy of this page?

Telephone USA: 001 415) 897-9659
Correspondence to:
2155 Webster Street, Suite 615
San Francisco, CA 94115

Contact Webmaster