APS annual meeting to be held in Tampa from April 30 to May 3, 2014

The 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) will convene April 30 through May 3 at the Tampa Convention Center. APS is the leading multidisciplinary professional organization in the United States dedicated to advancing pain-related research, education, treatment and team-oriented professional practice.

More than 1,000 scientists and clinicians specializing in pain and pain management are expected to attend. Plenary, panel and poster sessions will cover a wide range of topics on diagnosis, treatment and management of acute and chronic pain conditions. Pain research also is a major focus of the meeting. The nation's leading pain researchers will present their latest discoveries in the scientific sessions.

Marijuana and Pain Management
State legalization of marijuana and wider use of cannabinoid products for pain control have raised new questions regarding the clinical benefits of marijuana for treating acute and chronic pain. At the APS meeting, pain care and substance abuse experts will advise physicians on how to counsel chronic pain patients on potential benefits and risks of marijuana use and weigh the benefits of currently available, FDA-approved cannabinoid medications.

Scientific Presentations
Topics covered featured in plenary sessions include the role of sensory nerves in orofacial cancer pain and new evidence supporting the benefits of multidisciplinary pain management. Author attended poster sessions are May 1-2, and there will be more than 450 posters reporting on new research in the study and treatment of pain. Beginning April 4, abstracts can be viewed at http://www.americanpainsociety.org/education/content/abstracts-database.html

Keynote Speaker
This year's keynote speaker is David Newman, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York and author of "Hippocrates' Shadow: Secrets from the House of Medicine." In his address, Dr. Newman will cover challenges facing physicians in adjusting to health care reform, especially in managing relationships with patients and payers.

Media Registration
Journalists interested in covering the APS meeting should contact Chuck Weber at (262) 473-3018 or [email protected] to obtain media credentials and complimentary advance registration. The pressroom will open at 7:00 a.m. on May 1.