Denver Pain Management Clinic, a Denver chronic pain practice specializing in non-surgical back pain management, outlined its pharmacologic and adjunct treatment pathways ahead of Pain Awareness Month, citing federal data showing 24.3% of U.S. adults reported chronic pain in 2023.
Pain Awareness Month, observed each September, was established in 2001 by the American Chronic Pain Association with support from more than 80 health care and consumer organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the NAACP. The observance was created to address a problem clinicians still see in exam rooms: patients whose pain is real but whose imaging and lab work come back clean, and who are told to live with it. The Denver practice, located on Sherman Street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood a few blocks from the Colorado State Capitol, treats chronic back, neck, joint and nerve pain for patients across the Front Range.
"Pain Awareness Month is a reminder that people living with chronic back pain deserve a plan, not a shrug. The approach here focuses on function, safety and steady long-term management," said Andrew Hong, MD, a pain medicine physician at Denver Pain Management Clinic and a member of the Colorado Pain Society and the American Academy of Pain Medicine.
The scale of the problem is documented in federal survey data. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that 24.3% of U.S. adults had chronic pain in 2023 and 8.5% had high-impact chronic pain, meaning pain that substantially restricts daily activity. Both figures are up from 2021, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated chronic pain affected 20.9% of adults, or roughly 51.6 million people. CDC data also show prevalence rises as communities get less urban, a pattern relevant to a state where many residents travel to Denver for specialty care.
The clinic's stated model pairs two things that are often offered separately. Pharmacologic management, using narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics, sits alongside adjunct therapies including acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage therapy and physical therapy, with patients seen monthly for ongoing evaluation rather than treated once and discharged. The practice's published back pain resource cites peer-reviewed literature, including a 2018 paper in The Lancet on the prevention and treatment of low back pain and a 2019 systematic review protocol in Systematic Reviews on treatments for non-specific low back pain. The clinic has operated in Denver since 2010, offers Spanish-language services and accepts referrals from physicians, employers, attorneys and third-party payers.
Hong noted that two concerns come up more than any others.
"Patients often arrive worried about two things: surgery and dependence. Both deserve a direct conversation and regular follow-up rather than a prescription handed over without context or a clear plan," Hong said.
The clinic maintains a public library of patient education material addressing those questions directly, including explanations of the difference between physiological tolerance to pain medication and addiction, non-narcotic treatment pathways, conservative alternatives to orthopedic back surgery and what to expect at a first pain management consultation. The material is free to read and requires no appointment, which the practice describes as part of its approach to informed consent rather than a marketing function.
Colorado adults living with chronic back, neck, joint or nerve pain — including those weighing non-surgical alternatives before considering spine surgery — can review treatment options, clinic hours and referral requirements for Dr. Hong's Denver practice at https://denverpainmanagementclinic.com.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal health decisions.
About Denver Pain Management Clinic
Denver Pain Management Clinic has provided chronic pain management to Colorado patients since 2010. Led by Andrew Hong, MD, the practice combines pharmacologic pain management with adjunct therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic care and physical therapy. Hong earned his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his residency at the University of Colorado. Se habla español. The clinic is located at 455 Sherman St # 450, Denver, CO 80203. Phone: (303) 459-7899.
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For more information about Denver Pain Management Clinic, contact the company here:
Denver Pain Management Clinic
Dr. Joel Cherdack
17204052330
info@denverpainmanagementclinic.com
455 Sherman St #450, Denver, CO 80203, United States