Pain in America is a healthcare crisis, with half of all persons suffering chronic or recurring pain conditions. Up to 80% of persons entering addiction treatment programs complain of pain disorders, a third of them experiencing chronic pain, and many are either untreated or undertreated for their pain.

Targeting these vital issues, "Pain Treatment Topix" – www.Pain-Topix.com – is a new noncommercial website for healthcare professionals. It provides evidence-based clinical news, information, research, and education on the causes and effective treatment of all pain conditions.

According to Pain Treatment Topix Publisher/Editor, Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, "In many ways, Pain-Topix.com acts as a clearinghouse gathering and logically organizing all the clinical essentials of pain management at one website; thereby, visitors can make the most of their time on the Internet. This is an open-access website –– all of the resources are available free of charge, without restriction or required registration –– and we are not promoting or selling any products or services."

Pain-Topix.com is designed for easy navigation, and a special section on Addiction Topix addresses how pain in addiction can complicate the treatment of both disorders. Safety concerns in prescribing analgesics for substance-dependent persons are stressed.

The website has the most complete listings anywhere of pain-related events, education courses, clinical guidelines, research reviews, and website links. Original articles, reports, and answers to frequently asked questions provide evidence-based summaries and helpful practice perspectives.

Pain Treatment Topix is modeled after another successful project – "Addiction Treatment Forum" – which Leavitt and colleagues started in 1992. This has become a leading noncommercial educational program in the addiction treatment field worldwide.

Both Pain Treatment Topix and Addiction Treatment Forum rely on sponsor support in the form of unrestricted educational grants to fund the considerable costs of developing and providing quality content free of charge to a worldwide audience. Mallinckrodt Inc., St. Louis, MO –– a leading manufacturer of opioid analgesic products –– is the current sponsor of both projects.