10.2165/11630030-000000000-00000.
Heterogeneity of chronic pain.
Vellucci R.
Palliative Care and Pain Therapy Unit, University Hospital of Careggi,
Florence, Italy.
Abstract
Chronic pain is a widespread public health issue that has many effects
on physical, emotional and cognitive functions. An estimated 10-55% of
all adults are thought to have chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a multifactorial condition, caused by the complex
interplay of nociceptive, neuropathic or mixed pathogenic mechanisms.
Chronic pain is associated with specific and non-specific medical
conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis,
fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, low back pain or spinal stenosis and is
broadly categorized as cancer pain and non-cancer pain.
Evaluation of chronic pain requires a clear understanding of the
nature of the pain and its underlying pathophysiology.
Adequate assessment of pain, using validated tools, is an essential
prerequisite of successful pain management. Unidimensional scales are
useful for the measurement of pain intensity, while multidimensional
scales measure both pain intensity and the extent to which pain
interferes with life activity and emotional functioning.
Patients should be reassessed and followed up in order to monitor
progress and measure improvements in pain.
PMID: 22356219 [PubMed - in process]
---------------------------------------------
Send posts to CO-CURE@listserv.nodak.edu
Unsubscribe at http://www.co-cure.org/unsub.htm
Select list topic options at http://www.co-cure.org/topics.htm
---------------------------------------------
Co-Cure's purpose is to provide information from across the spectrum of
opinion concerning medical, research and political aspects of ME/CFS and/or
FMS. We take no position on the validity of any specific scientific or
political opinion expressed in Co-Cure posts, and we urge readers to
research the various opinions available before assuming any one
interpretation is definitive. The Co-Cure website <www.co-cure.org> has a
link to our complete archive of posts as well as articles of central
importance to the issues of our community.
---------------------------------------------
