Let’s Talk Chronic Pain

This book presents a concept of chronic pain that has been derived from years of clinical practice by two experts. It is derived from discussions with several hundred patients with persistent pain despite a multitude of prior attempts to cure their pain. It reveals an understanding of what causes chronic pain, what makes it worse, what medications are appropriate or inappropriate, and when a surgical or other procedure should or should not be done. It recognizes that most chronic pain patients are over-treated, rather than the opposite. There is great confusion among both doctors and patients about the role of pain medications, many of which are addicting and may make the pain worse rather than better. Most successful treatment of chronic pain begins with both the doctor and the patient recognizing the many factors that influence the pain. The book presents general principles, patient selection and non-surgical management of persistent non-cancer pain and teaches how to discuss these factors in a comprehensive and understandable format with both patients and other physicians. It presents guidelines for use of the surgical or office procedures that are appropriate for some of the patients with chronic pain.