Clinical insights: Chronic pain

Pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms reported in medical settings and is the most frequent reason for physician consultation. Important advances are now being made in the areas of etiology, assessment, treatment and prevention of chronic pain following a major paradigm shift in medicine. Chronic pain is now viewed as more than a symptom of injury or illness, and is seen as an illness unto itself, raising profound and challenging issues for sufferers, their families and the interdisciplinary pain management team responsible for their treatment. This biopsychosocial perspective is the common thread throughout the fabric of this book, which provides healthcare professionals with a firm foundation in chronic pain definition, prediction, assessment and treatment. The book is authored by recognized experts who also share their experience of pain assessment and management in special populations and of rehabilitation of chronic pain sufferers.