Battlefield Injuries Leave Many Military Service Men And Women Facing New “Enemy”: Persistent Pain (NAPSA)—The good newsis that advances in battlefield medicine are saving thelives of U.S. service personnel who might otherwise have died as a result of combatinjuries. However, these young men and women now must live with the physical and psychological pain that often follows combat injuries and amputations. Tragically, our military personnel and veterans are joining the ranks of the more than 75 million Americans who are living with pain every year. Lee Woodruff has seen the devastating impact that blastrelated injuries and pain can have on a person’s mind, body and spirit. Her husband, famed ABC News’ anchor’ Bob Woodruff, sustained a traumatic brain injury in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near the armored vehicle in which he was traveling. For Bob, the difficult and prolonged recuperation from this injury was marked by debilitating pain. A communications professional and mother of four, Woodruff found herself thrust into a new role: caregiver to her husband during his arduous recovery. “I didn’t have the knowledge I needed to help care for him,” says Woodruff. “I had to find the information I needed withouta guide.” Now she has become a national advocate for injured military personnel and veterans. She is working with a national education program Pariners Against Pain to increase awareness about the urgent need for effective and appropriate pain management. Lee Woodruff has joined with Partners Against Pain to shed light on the urgent need to effectively manage pain for our wounded warriors. In many cases, managing pain requires an integrative medical approach that combines medication with complementary techniques such as physical therapy, acupuncture, massage and psychological care. “Pain and the emotional consequences it brings should not be ignored or brushed aside,” says Woodruff. “If you find yourself in the role of caregiver to a loved one who has becomeinjured orill, you can help them get the care and the relief they need. Luckily, there are many resources that can help you be their advocate.” The Partners Against Pain Web site, www.partnersagainstpain.com, provides information on a range of painful conditions as well as tools and resources for people with pain and their loved ones. Partners Against Pain is a national pain education program provided by Purdue PharmaL.P.
