Chronic pain: definitions and diagnosis

What you need to knowAcknowledging chronic pain as a diagnosis in its own right can help clinicians and patients move on from a mindset of searching for a diagnosis to discussing long term management strategiesConsider non-pain features such as poor sleep, low mood, and reduced physical activity: these can be both a cause and a consequence of chronic primary painConsultations where patients feel believed, listened to, and validated can enable a therapeutic relationship that forms the basis for subsequent management strategies, including supported self-management.Pain related diseases are the leading cause of disability and disease burden worldwide.12 Chronic pain affects between a third and half of the population globally,345 and high impact chronic pain—defined as pain experienced on most days or every day in the previous three months that causes restriction in at least one activity—has been found to affect 4.8% of the US adult population.6 Furthermore, chronic pain is a…
Read Original Article: Chronic pain: definitions and diagnosis »