Why Am I Aiming to Halve the Pain of a Billion People

Written By Andrew Ford

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide are estimated to suffer from chronic pain, and over 750 million people are newly diagnosed with chronic pain each year (*BMC public health, 2011).*

So, a billion is beyond a number. It’s also a vision.

It says: What if we could help more people than we ever imagined?

It says: What if pain didn’t steal years, relationships, and dreams the way it does now?

It says: What if we could do better, together, through care, through clarity, through community?

That’s the mission that I didn’t set out at the start.

Originally, it was a million. That felt big. Serious. But over time, it started to feel… small. Not because a million lives aren’t worth fighting for. They absolutely are. But because of what I began to understand about pain.

Pain doesn’t stay contained. It spreads.

According to research published by the British Journal of Anaesthesia (2019), chronic pain impacts not only patients but also their social and work environments, causing widespread emotional and economic consequences.

And that’s the thing. If I can help one person truly understand their pain, if I can reduce it, name it, treat it in a way that actually works, then I’m not just helping them. I’m helping everyone around them too.

That’s the ripple. That’s why the number grew.

What Happens in a Consult Goes Far Beyond That Consult

The other day, a guy I treated eight years ago came back to see me. This time, bringing his mum.

Back then, he was trying to get into the fire brigade. But he had severe back pain that no one could fix. We did some diagnostic blocks, found the source of his pain, treated it, and he was able to get into fire brigade training. He’s been a firefighter ever since.

I’m sure he saves many lives. Now, I’m not saying I saved anyone’s life; he did that. But by helping him overcome his pain, I helped unlock his ability to help others. And that impact is bigger than just the person sitting in front of me. It’s that ripple effect that keeps me motivated to take on this mission.

I Can’t See a Billion People, But I Can Teach Them

The reality is, I can’t personally see a billion people. I can’t even see a million. So a big part of what I do is about education; educating patients, clinicians, and communities.

I give talks and lectures. I publish research. And I have a podcast called It’s Not In Your Head that allows us to reach people across the world who I would never meet otherwise.

I also teach doctors, how to do procedures, sure, but more importantly, how to think differently about pain. That can influence how they treat their patients and how those patients experience relief.

Why Education Is Important for Healing

Pain is complicated. Really complicated. It’s hard to explain, even for doctors.

But here’s the key:

“If you want to get better, the best way is to own your own care. And to own it, you need to be educated about your pain”. Dr Dan Bates

Our medical system isn’t designed for people with chronic pain. Chronic pain patients need time, and every clinician has limited time. So if you’re going into that environment, you need to communicate clearly. You need to say, “Here’s what’s going on with me, and these are the problems I need help with.”

Most doctors can only help with one or two problems. So the more you understand, the better you can use your doctors and clinicians to help you, rather than waiting for them to tell you what to do in a brief consultation.

Why a Billion Matters

I don’t expect to hit that number in my lifetime. That’s not really the point.

The point is this: if we aim small, we build small. But if we aim big, if we say why not try to halve the pain of a billion people, then we start thinking differently. We start building tools that scale. We start empowering patients, not just treating them. We stop managing pain, and start preventing it.

Every life improved creates a ripple. One person goes back to work. One parent starts playing with their kids again. One carer finally breathes. One future is reclaimed.

That’s why I get up every day and try to do this better.

Not because I can fix everything.

But because I believe we can do more.

And we should.

— Dan

If you want to be part of the movement to halve the pain of a billion people.

Join My Mission →

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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