ISAL Foundation

President: William Raffaeli

Honorary President: Sergio Zavoli

Vice President: Giovanna Filippini

Secretary: Alberto Vignali

Members: Antonella Chiadini, Gianvincenzo d’Andrea, Giudo Fanelli, Franco Garuffi, William Serralegri, Roberto Zavatta

ISAL, no-profit association, has been founded in 1993 as research and formation institute in algological science, in order to promote and divulge the knowledge, the studies and the pain therapy practise in Italy and all other the world. The Institute, ECM provider accredited by the Health Minister, presents with passion and no-profit spirit training courses, meetings, scientific publications, by sensitizing the community about pain.

In the last years ISAL Institute has been formed in Italy almost 400 specialists, involving the 85% of medical doctors in the pain therapy field.

In 2007 ISAL Foundation has been started to promote institutional activities, by focusing on the scientific research and on the projects for the underdeveloped Nations. Thus, in 2009 ISAL has been inaugurated, on the patronage of the Senate of the Republic and the Work and Social Politics Minister, the project “Hundred Cities Against Pain”, a real network for assistance and pain cares. Starting from this project the “Manifesto Against Pain” takes its origin, by promoting the aims to:

• Sensitize and inform people about pain
• Recognize chronic pain as a disease to prevent and treat
• Support health initiatives to prevent and manage chronic pain
• Make drugs refundable and diagnosis and care instruments available
• Promote fundraising for research
• Promote a formative specialist training
• Solicit medias in order to involve them in the fighting against pain

ISAL is characterized by 3 macro sectors:

RESEARCH

It represents the hope for a better life for people who live everyday with pain. The Foundation manages its professional resources in several projects:

• Experimental research
• Applied research
• Utilization of social medias in the pain field
• Mutual aid activity

TRAINING

biennial courses for medical doctors who want to study chronic pain treatment.

VOLUNTARY WORK

friends of ISAL Association with the assistance of the territorial network:

• Support specialized centres of pain therapy
• Assist pain patients and the families at the hospice and at home with the help of expert voluntaries
•  Spread news and information about pain as a disease, without lucre, in order to relief painful effects

PATIENTS NETWORK

In 2014, thanks to the scientific support of ISAL Foundation, People for the People- Together Against Pain Association has been founded. People from different cities, with different experiences and professions, have decided to work together because of the same common experience: suffering for chronic pain.

People for the People links together all the patients who fight everyday against this disease, which destroys life quality. They don’t want to give up and want to give voice to all the people suffering in silence. This is an Association in which people can meet and find the support and the force in the others, to live their personal and social life.

People for the People aims to:

• Obtain the recognition of a chronic pain disability and have an identification number
• Make drugs refundable and diagnosis and therapy instruments available
• Sustain ISAL Foundation activities
• Sustain pain research
• Sustain social communication about pain

WORLDWIDE DAY AGAINST PAIN

ISAL believes it is really important to inform citizens about pain. Thus, since 2011, in collaboration with ISAL territorial associations and more than 20 other national and international associations active on pain, ISAL has been presented the “worldwide day against pain”. The goal is to inform people about the law 38/2010, the presence of pain therapy centres and the modality to access the cares. Through a fundraising ISAL sustain scientific research programmes in pain therapy. This project has been obtained the patronage of Italian institutions, of important European associations and, last years, the patronage of the Presidency of the Italian Republic. Our dream is that pain cares will be considered in the world and patients will stop to suffer everyday because of the tortures of a chronic pain pathology.

Our main expectations from PAE are: avoiding unnecessary pains to European Patients, sharing experiences and further related issues with other organizations coming from all over European promoting dialogue with European Institutions.