There are 300,000+ of us in the U.S. with trigeminal neuralgia and this past year approximately 15,000 more joined our group if the epidemiological estimates are correct. Add to these numbers those who have other neuropathic facial pain that the FPA strives to help and we are both humbled and invigorated by the immensity of our challenge. Fortunately, with the skills and dedication of our wonderful staff, Medical Advisory Board, Board of Directors, and our amazing corps of volunteers, much was accomplished in pursuit of our mission in 2022.
As a member of our community, I want you to be comforted in knowing that important things are getting done to help all of us with neuropathic facial pain. In addition to our staff helping nearly 100 people in our community on a one-on-one basis each week through phone calls and emails, other major milestones were achieved. Here are just a few examples:
- In January, the FPA kicked off the year by holding a two-day virtual conference with 18 presenters and more than 1,300 people from 26 countries attending. It had to be the largest event of its kind for a community like ours…ever.
- Mid-year, a full-throttled effort to educate dentists about TN and other neuropathic facial pain was kicked off and continues today. It includes a major advertising effort, a new section of our website, and most recently a Continuing Dental Education course.
- We spent the month of October increasing awareness for all different kinds of facial pain, with social media content that had a reach of over 60,000, webinar releases throughout the month, and a targeted email campaign.
- Throughout the year, the FPA assisted eight institutions doing research to develop new medical solutions for our community.
There’s much, much more and we want to thank you for all you’ve done to help us get here. We couldn’t have done it without you. As we look back on the successes achieved in 2022, we look forward to a new year and new opportunities to support, educate and advocate for the facial pain community. Please take away the simple thought that none of us are alone and much is being done to make life better for all of us living with neuropathic facial pain.
Thank you,
Chairman, FPA Board of Directors
