American Chronic Pain Association

What American Chronic Pain Association does

The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1980 and headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, that provides peer support, education, and self-management resources for individuals living with chronic pain. Its primary constituents are chronic pain patients, with secondary audiences including healthcare professionals and the families/caregivers of pain patients. The organization maintains a network of more than 100 in-person support groups spanning over 35 U.S. states, complemented by mobile applications (ACPA Pain Logs on iOS and Android) and a substantial content library covering fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), migraine, post-surgical pain, and PTSD-related conditions.

The ACPA's product portfolio is content- and community-centric rather than technology-centric. Core offerings include the ACPA Stanford Guide (developed with Stanford University), the Telly Award-winning Family Matters three-part video series, a quarterly Chronicle publication, condition-specific educational guides, and an annual CME-accredited conference for healthcare professionals alongside a separate patient conference. Technical surface area is limited to the pain-logging mobile apps and a self-serve website that aggregates PDFs, videos, and support group locators. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML models, APIs, or SDK development.

The organization's revenue model is characteristic of a small membership-based nonprofit: it derives funding from individual membership dues, corporate memberships (companies funding educational content), and donations. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is conducted through its own website, mobile app stores, the PainWeek conference partnership, and referral arrangements (e.g., Theravive for therapist lookup). With 1–10 employees, no funding rounds, and no parent organization, the ACPA operates as a lean, board-governed nonprofit with operational scale measured in support group count rather than headcount or revenue.

Name

American Chronic Pain Association

Legal name

American Chronic Pain Association

Website

https://theacpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that delivers peer support, educational resources, and a 100+ support group network to chronic pain patients, families, and healthcare professionals across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy & Chronic Pain Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI)

Keywords

• Chronic pain support
• Pain management education
• Peer support groups
• Patient advocacy nonprofit
• Pain awareness resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The ACPA offers membership options for individuals to join the organization, providing access to resources, support, and community connection.
2. Corporate Memberships: Corporate members, described as companies or individuals who help fund education, provide financial support to the organization in exchange for association with the ACPA brand and supporting resource creation.
3. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the ACPA receives donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of peer support and pain education.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that delivers peer support, education, and self-management resources to individuals living with chronic pain. Its offering portfolio includes the ACPA Stanford Guide, the Family Matters video series, condition-specific educational resources (fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, migraine, post-surgical pain), mobile pain-logging apps for iOS and Android, a quarterly Chronicle publication, a national network of 100+ support groups, and CME-accredited conferences for healthcare professionals.

Product overview

The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that offers a diverse portfolio of educational resources and tools for chronic pain management rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include the ACPA Stanford Guide (in partnership with Stanford), the Family Matters Video Series (a Telly Award-winning three-part series), and educational resources like the Fibromyalgia Resource, PDPN Guides, Post-Surgical Pain Resource, and Communication Guide. The ACPA also provides mobile applications for Apple and Android devices for pain tracking, along with the ACPA Chronicle (a quarterly publication), Research Opportunities, and a Support Groups Network spanning over 80 locations across the U.S. Additional resources include MigrainePro, Access to Care materials, Pain Awareness resources, and PDF materials on topics like opioid safety and relaxation techniques. The organization also hosts live educational conferences including a Patient Conference and Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference for healthcare professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACPA Pain Logs: A mobile application for tracking pain logs
• MigrainePro
• Patient Conference
• CME Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of pharmacists surveyed said they would like to speak more with people with pain about their pain and treatment options

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NerveLiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNerveLi has partnered with the ACPA, as evidenced by a press release referenced on the ACPA website. The partnership is highlighted on the home page with a press release image linking to additional information about the collaboration.
• PainWeekcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe ACPA has an ongoing partnership with PainWeek, participating in their annual conference as an ACPA partner for 2026. The PainWeek conference is a major pain management education event where the ACPA participates to promote awareness and education.
• TheraviveminorOthersThe ACPA links to Theravive as a resource to help users find mental health therapists. This is a referral/advertising arrangement where ACPA directs users to a therapist directory service.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Pain Community (formerly For Grace): A nonprofit providing chronic pain education, support groups, and online community resources, with similar reliance on volunteer facilitators and corporate/donor funding.
• Pain Connection: A chronic pain outreach and support organization that runs in-person and online peer-led support groups for pain patients and families, directly mirroring the ACPA's community-led GTM motion.
• U.S. Pain Foundation: A national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides support, education, and advocacy for people living with chronic pain, including a state-based support group network and educational resources. Most directly comparable to ACPA in mission, structure, and beneficiary population.
• National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association: A patient-centered nonprofit that focuses on fibromyalgia and overlapping chronic pain conditions, providing education, advocacy, and community programs. Closely comparable to ACPA's condition-specific resource approach and peer-led model.
• Chronic Pain Research Alliance: A research-focused nonprofit advancing understanding and treatment of chronic overlapping pain conditions, including patient engagement. Comparable to ACPA in mission alignment but differentiated by its research-first orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Arthritis Foundation: A large, well-resourced national nonprofit supporting people with arthritis, many of whom experience chronic pain, providing education, support, and advocacy. Comparable as a chronic-condition patient support nonprofit at significantly greater scale.
• International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP): A leading global professional organization advancing pain research, education, and policy. Comparable to ACPA in the chronic pain domain but operating at a much larger, international, research-oriented scale.
• American Academy of Pain Medicine: A large professional medical society serving physicians and clinicians in pain medicine, offering CME and policy advocacy. Comparable to ACPA as an established voice in the U.S. pain ecosystem but targeting providers rather than patients.

Emerging players

• Miles for Migraine: A nonprofit focused on migraine and headache disorders, providing education, support, and fundraising events. Comparable to ACPA's MigrainePro resource but smaller and event-led, overlapping with the ACPA's condition-specific approach.

Others

• PainWeek: A major annual U.S. pain management conference that the ACPA partners with. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler/distributor that the ACPA leverages for clinician outreach rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theacpa
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAmericanChronicPainAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-chronic-pain-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Chronic Pain Association