What is happening this year?
This year Chronic Pain Australia is partnering with the Cronulla Sharks to heighten awareness that pain affects people across the lifespan and has a huge impact on the lives of a cross section of ordinary Australians. It also affects sports people. Which player lives with pain? It’s ok to say you live with pain even if you are an athlete.
National Pain Week will be held 21-27 July 2014. A focal point will be a rally to bring together people affected by pain in the Sydney CBD at the Martin Place amphitheatre. The rally will be held to help people understand the experience and what can be done about it.
This year on 18 July the Cronulla Sharks will be dedicating their game with the Cowboys at the Remondis Stadium to raising awareness about the impact of chronic pain on people’s lives. Watch out for Beau Riley on the Footy Show on 17 July and come along to the Rally to meet the players.
24 July 12 noon – 2pm Martin Place Amphitheatre with a Q&A panel consisting of a great family – Jo, Grant, Bayly and Violet (which one lives with pain?) players from the Sharks Rugby team, Dr Chris Hayes, Dr Roberta Chow, Dr Ian Relf, Dr Caroline West and the inspirational Ms Petrea King.
The Buzz Band will provide entertainment and the Big Red London Bus will be cruising around Sydney shuttling people to the Rally on the day.
In the lead up to the Rally, the big double-decker red London bus will be out and about around Sydney on Thursday 17th, Monday 
21st, Tuesday 22nd, Wednesday 23rd – with a call to action for people to rally in Martin Place.
New research will be launched to better understand the impact of pain on Australians. This is linked to progress with the National Pain Strategy from the consumer point of view. Chronic Pain Australia is working with University of Newcastle to analyse this comprehensive research which will be undertaken each year as a snapshot of where Australians are in relation to the National Pain Strategy.
Australian Pain Society 