We begin this commentary with an abstract question:'What if we were equal?'where
'we'refers to any human who has an identity—that is everyone. Pain is a universal human …

Racial equity is imperative to the future and integrity of scientific inquiry. In 2020, citizens of
the United States (and globally) witnessed one of the most vile and egregious experiences …

In the past several years, many national events have illuminated the inequities faced by the
Black community in all aspects of life, including healthcare. To close the gap in healthcare …

Medical journals from the 1800s described differences in disease susceptibility, skin
thickness, and pain tolerance among races. These misconceptions about biologic …

As in all areas of health care, pain treatment in the United States is fraught with disparities
on numerous dimensions. Although initial research on the topic focused heavily on racial …

Although it is widely recognized that the United States has a severe and broad systemic
racism problem, recent events have dramatically elevated the issue. Widespread protests in …

A recent report from the Institute of Medicine [1] described stark racial and ethnic differences
in the delivery of health care services and in the experiences of those served. Although the …

The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) endorses the World Health Organization
declaration that pain relief is a human right. The Academy advocates strongly for access to …

Almost 20 years ago, leaders in pain disparities research challenged pain scientists and
clinicians to intervene and advocate for the elimination of inequitable pain treatment based …

This commentary calls for a shift in the identification, analysis, and treatment of disparities in
pain management. We provide context and research that summarize social and structural …