The Facial Pain Association marks its 35th anniversary this year. Thirty-five years of providing educational resources, connections to medical professionals, and support to those affected by facial pain. I am in awe of the people in this community and constantly amazed by your strength and by the kindness and care you show one another. Your resilience is inspiring.
The Facial Pain Association is ready to step into our next 35 years by growing the ways we connect with the community but staying true to our mission and to the pillars that have become the resources you find most helpful — education, support, and advocacy. The FPA will always meet you on your journey with resources, opportunities for support, and to help you advocate for yourselves and each other.
2025 will be an exciting year. Many of our plans are outlined in the Winter 2025 Quarterly journal, which will be delivered later this month and will also be available online. You will see we are dedicated to fulfilling our mission to serve everyone living with neuropathic facial pain. Here are some of the initiatives we proud to provide to you:
- The 2025 FPA In-Person Conference is set for June 7 and 8, 2025 and will be our first in-person conference since 2019. It will be held at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis at the Graduate Hotel. Details are coming, but please save the dates.
- We will launch our patient registry in early 2025, an effort that has been in the planning stages for many years. Your Voice Matters. Let data tell your story — our hope is that by relating your information and experiences through the Facial Pain Registry, you will have the opportunity to affect research and future outcomes.
- While supporting the community we currently serve, we want to reach those who don’t know about the FPA as well. We are connecting with neurologists to let them know we are here to help them support their patients. We’re working with orofacial pain specialists to educate more dentists, so they spot neuropathic pain before proceeding with unnecessary dental procedures. We are working with partner organizations to reach those in underserved communities who may not have access to the resources needed to get critical information and care. We want to reach EVERYONE affected by trigeminal neuralgia and other forms of neuropathic facial pain.
We could not do any of this without you. Members of the facial pain community are volunteers, donors, medical partners, family, friends, and most importantly, those living with facial pain. You all significantly impact our efforts, and we are grateful for your contributions. I wish you a happy and healthy 2025 and I look forward to facing this year together.
Best wishes,
