<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.iasp-pain.org </Td> </Tr> <P> The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is an international learned society promoting research, education, and policies for the understanding, prevention, and treatment of pain . IASP was founded in 1973 under the leadership of John J. Bonica . Its secretariat, formerly based in Seattle, Washington is now located in Washington, DC . It publishes the scientific journal PAIN, PAIN Reports and PAIN: Clinical Updates . IASP currently has more than 7,200 members from 133 countries and in 94 chapters worldwide . IASP supports 20 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) which members may join to network and collaborate with others in their specific field of research or practice . </P> <P> The IASP definition of pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" is derived from a 1964 definition by Harold Merskey, and it was first published in 1979 by IASP in PAIN, number 6, page 250 . </P> <P> In 2004, supported by various IASP chapters and federations holding their own local events and activities worldwide, IASP initiated its first "Global Year Against Pain" with the motto "The Relief of Pain Should be a Human Right". Every year, the focus is on another aspect of pain . </P>

International association for the study of pain pain definition