History of IASP^®

IASP Timeline

The Association

The International Association for the Study of Pain began in May 1973 with an interdisciplinary meeting in Issaquah, Washington, USA, organized by University of Washington anesthesiology professor John J. Bonica. The participants, 350 scientists and clinicians from 13 countries, decided to found a multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to pain research and management, and agreed to launch a journal, called PAIN, to be edited by Patrick D. Wall. Bonica identified IASP’s mission: to provide an egalitarian, interdisciplinary, and international forum to improve knowledge about pain, improve the education of health care providers, and improve the care of patients. IASP was incorporated on May 9, 1974.

World Congress on Pain

The World Congress on Pain is the premier Congress devoted to the research and treatment of pain. It began as a triennial event, but in 2008 switched to every two years. More than 750 scientists and clinicians attended the first World Congress on Pain in Florence, Italy, in September 1975. The second Congress in Montréal, Québec, Canada (1978), had more than 1300 participants, and the number of attendees has increased ever since. By the 13th World Congress on Pain (2010), also in Montréal, more than 6200 people came for 18 Refresher Courses, 14 Plenary Lectures, 73 Topical Workshops/Symposia, and nearly 2000 poster presentations. Read on for more information about past Congresses.

Publications

The first issue of PAIN, initially a quarterly publication, appeared in January 1975. Four years later, PAIN switched to a bimonthly format; by 1982 it was published monthly. In 1990, Ronald Dubner joined Patrick Wall as co-editor-in-chief, and the journal added three double issues per year. Current editor-in-chief Allan Basbaum took the reins in 2002, and in 2010, publication returned to 12 monthly issues. Over the years, a number of key items have appeared in PAIN, including the first list of pain definitions and the first edition of "Classification of Chronic Pain."

In 1993, IASP established IASP Press, the official publishing arm of the Association, with Howard L. Fields as the editor-in-chief. IASP Press has published more than 80 books since its inception, at an average of four to five books per year. IASP also publishes a quarterly newsletter for its members. Until 2000, the IASP Newsletter featured "Technical Corners" devoted to timely topics in pain research and treatment. In 1993, IASP began publishing Pain: Clinical Updates, a free topical newsletter for clinicians.

Advocacy

IASP has always strived to disseminate information about pain and raise awareness of pain-related issues worldwide. In 1987, IASP obtained recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a nongovernmental organization (NGO). In 2002, the organization began placing greater emphasis on developing countries. The first Global Day Against Pain, in conjunction with a Global Year Against Pain, launched in 2004 with the slogan of "Pain Treatment Should Be a Human Right." Since 2004, the Global Year has focused on pain in childhood, pain in older persons, pain in women, cancer pain, musculoskeletal pain, and acute pain.

In 2010, IASP organized the first International Pain Summit in Montréal. It was the first global meeting about the crucial aspects of pain management, with a focus on advocacy and assistance for all countries to develop national pain strategies. At the meeting, delegates developed a list of desirable characteristics for national pain strategies and agreed to the Declaration of Montréal, a document aimed at focusing world attention on under-treatment of all forms of pain and supporting pain management as a fundamental human right.

Further Reading

Read "First Steps: The Early Years of IASP 1973-1984," a memoir of IASP's first decade by former Executive Officer Louisa Jones.

A limited number of copies of First Steps are available from the IASP Secretariat office. If you would like a copy of these memoirs sent by mail, please contact us. Though the book itself is free, you will be asked to pay the cost of shipping ($4 in North America, $9 everywhere else).

Read "Celebrating 25 Years," a booklet published and distributed to members with the IASP Newsletter in 1998 to commemorate IASP's first quarter-century. It includes pieces written by past presidents Jean-Marie Besson, John Loeser, and Troels S. Jensen, noted members Patrick Wall, Anthony Dickenson, Henry McQuay, and Allan Basbaum, as well as former Executive Officer Louisa Jones.

The John C. Liebeskind History of Pain Collection – The Liebeskind Collection is a multi-disciplinary collection focusing on the history of pain alleviation in all of its manifestations. Oral histories with major figures in the pain field form the backbone of the collection, but we also have and collect the papers of individuals and the records of organizations. Pre-20th century historical materials also form an important part of the collection and are interpreted through exhibits and symposia.

IASP Online Archives – Profiles on chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (created in 1999)

Member Reflections

Mark Churcher worked in a pain relief unit in Plymouth UK from 1965 to 1992. He was the first secretary of the British and Irish Pain Society and a founding member of IASP. Read his paper reflecting on his experiences working in the field of pain.

IASP Past President Troels S. Jensen, MD, DMSc, delivered an Outgoing President's Address at the 12th World Congress on Pain in Glasgow, Scotland. View the slides from his presentation.