The National Pain Foundation (NPF), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 for the purposes of providing access to peer-reviewed, unbiased information about pain to the public and increasing public awareness of the inadequate treatment of pain. These goals were based on the premise that trustworthy, credible information would empower persons in pain to seek appropriate and effective treatment and that increasing awareness of the public health problem of inadequately treated pain would improve access to appropriate pain services.

The NPF believes that proper treatment of pain conditions at any stage can restore personal functioning and positively change the direction of a person's life. Pain is a disease that needs to be evaluated and managed as comprehensively as any other disease, as it causes untold suffering for millions and is the leading healthcare cost to businesses and society. The NPF believes that successfully increasing pain awareness and empowering people in pain requires numerous perspectives, countless efforts, and the collaboration of many organizations and individuals.

By providing objective, unbiased information to people in pain, to healthcare providers, to insurers and to employers, the NPF addresses the three primary causes of inadequate treatment for pain-the lack of credible information, the lack of validation of pain as a significant public health problem and the invisibility of pain. By educating people about pain and by explaining both traditional and alternative approaches to treatment, the NPF empowers patients to take a more active role in their treatment.