I have the nerve to be heard, do you have the nerve to be heard? POP for PAIN with hashtag #painPOP by the Power of Pain Foundation. We invite you to take the challenge or donate to either spread continued awareness and advocacy efforts or assist in educational funding for nerve pain diseases, syndromes and conditions.

Our balloons are safe for both you and the environment. Instead of a balloon release, our #painPOP offers you the opportunity to be involved even with physical limitations. We considered the noise in the pop, we considered those whose hands are not well and we considered the air.

We have taken into account those with PTSD from wartime. We would not wish you harm in any way, nor would we have you pop to startle you. No one is forced to do either. This is meant for fun, a distraction from our own pain; enlighten pain in others, and to promote understanding, compassion and hope. I participated in the ice bucket challenge last year and my body had a fit, but for ALS sufferers, I did it. I don’t have ALS, I have CRPS, CSA, OSA, other sleep disorders, Cheyne Stokes, Hypertension, Anxiety disorder, DDD, Arthritis (Juvenile Arthritis), PTSD and various extras.  Pain is hard, not being able to breathe evenly is hard, having a brain that doesn’t send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing is hard, not being able to stay awake is hard and not being able to sleep is hard,  being on my legs is hard, but we don’t always have to be hard on ourselves.

I was challenged in the #painPOP by Power of Pain’s Executive Director Ken Taylor. Of course, I accepted, even though I’ve been quite unwell for weeks now.

If we tell ourselves we can’t participate in anything due to the setbacks in pain then we never will.

Here’s how it works:

Instructions
If your balloon has a POP (Power of Pain) logo, be sure to have it facing the camera.
To the camera say: I have the NERVE to be HEARD! (pop the balloon) do YOU have the NERVE to be HEARD! hashtag #painPOP participate or donate to powerofpain.org
Or if you want to challenge someone:
I have the NERVE to be HEARD! (pop the balloon) I challenge (state their name’s) to Have the NERVE to be HEARD! hashtag #painPOP participate or donate to www.powerofpain.org

You can have fun with it. Be creative. We also want you to be safe and content.

We look forward to sharing your submissions and celebrating with you.

Our mission

Power of Pain Foundation recognizes the value of every person who makes up the chronic pain community. We are guided by our commitment to excellence, leadership and patient empowerment. We demonstrate this by:

* Providing educational resources for physical and emotional care * Advancing excellence in pain awareness of the over 150 conditions involving chronic pain and what patients are faced with on a daily basis * Strengthening our relationships with hospitals, pain clinics, pharmaceuticals, support groups and our chronic pain community * Demonstrating social responsibility through the use of our pain resources. The commitment of volunteers, physicians, community partners and friends to the Power of Pain mission, permits us to maintain a quality presence and tradition of caring, which are the hallmarks of the Power of Pain Foundation.

We hope that you participate in our #NERVEmber projects and if you are unable due to any restrictions that instead you share someone who has so that together we can fulfill the mission of the Power of Pain Foundation to give a voice to the communities that need it most.

#NERVEmber is International Nerve Pain Awareness Month (including RSD, CRPS, Diabetes, and more). Each day during the month of NERVEmber the @PowerofPain Foundation will present an awareness task that we can all perform!

This year we are also giving away over $1000 in prizes available for everyone who registers to participate and use the hashtags, complete tasks, host or attend an event. The more you participate in OFFICIAL #NERVEmber events, the more chances you have to win! Check out all events going on in our NERVEmber Event Calendar.

Find out more at: NERVEmber.org

A list of diseases, syndromes and conditions that involve nerve pain as a symptom.

AUTONOMIC*

The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal. This system is the primary mechanism in control of the fight-or-flight response and its role is mediated by two different components.

AUTOIMMUNE**

Autoimmune diseases arise from an abnormal immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body (autoimmunity). This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in autoimmune thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture’s disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney).

OTHER

Other types of neuropathy conditions include; toxic, metabolic, trauma, compression entrapment, infectious, and congenital hereditary. These conditions are typically treated by multiple types of medical professionals.  The goal of treatments should be to understand the physiological system of the condition and then working to prevent permanent painful neurological transformations.

4 Q Deletion Syndrome
Alcoholism*
Alexander Disease
ALS Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Arachnoiditis**
Behcet’s Disease**
Bell’s Palsy
Blepharospasm
Bloch-Sulzberger Syndrome
Burning Mouth Syndrome**

Cancer Neuropathy*
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Causalgia**
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Chemical Injury Neuropathy*
Chiari Malformation
Cranial Neuritis*
Diabetic Neuropathy*
Dysautonomia*
Endometriosis
Fabry’s Disease

Fibromyalgia**
Friedreich’s Ataxia
Guillain Barre Syndrome**
Herpes Simplex 
HIV/AIDS**
Interstitial Cystitis
Leprosy**
Lupus**
Lyme disease**
MonoNeuropathy*
Multiple Sclerosis*
Neuro Muscular Dystrophy**

Optic Neuritis**
Peripheral Neuropathy*
Polyneuropathy**
Post-Surgical Pain
Pressure Palsy
RSD / CRPS**
Shingles*
Shoulder Hand Syndrome
Sjogren’s (“SHOW-grins”)**
Tarlov Cyst Disease
TMJ
Trigeminal Neuralgia**
Vestibular Neuritis*

Check back for more information on these conditions soon

Central Cervical Cord Syndrome

Central Pain Syndrome

Cerebral Palsy

Chemical Injury Neuropathy

Choreoacanthocytosis

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Craniosynostosis

Cushing’s Syndrome

Brachial Neuritis

Ehlers Danlos

Electric Discharge

Failed Back Syndrome

Neuralgia Post-Infectious

Neuro Inflammatory Disease

Toxic Homeopathy

Vasculitic Neuropathy

See http://powerofpain.org/conditions/

Help us share and make aware

Hashtags (Please be sure to use the hashtags in their entirety)

#painPOP

#NERVEmber

#PaintTheWorldOrange

#IHaveTheNerveToBeHeard

#DoYouHaveTheNerveToBeHeard

Check out the video’s of those who’ve been challenged already, and those who’ve accepted at: https://www.facebook.com/powerofpain

Twitter- @powerofpain

https://twitter.com/powerofpain