Biobehavioral Approaches to Pain

Book excerpt: Pain is a common symptom, yet it is frequently underevaluated and undertreated. It is difficult to define, describe—and sometimes to prove. It’s pain, and suspicions of exaggerations often add further insult to a patients’ injuries. Biobehavioral Approaches to Pain translates this highly subjective experience—and its physical, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions—into practical insights key to transforming the field of pain management. This pathbreaking volume synthesizes a rich knowledge base from across disciplines, including neurobiologic, genetic, biobehavioral, clinical, narrative, substance abuse, health services,ethical and policy perspectives, for a deeper understanding of the impact of pain on individual lives and the larger society. Its international panel of contributors highlights special issues and review best practice guidelines, from placebo effects to cancer, Whiplash Associated Disorders to pain imaging to complementary medicine, phantom limb pain to gene therapies to AIDS. Among the topics covered: The distinction between acute and chronic pain: is it clinically useful? Improving clinical assessment of patients with pain. Age and sex differences in pain. The what, how and why of the placebo and nocebo effect Psychosocial and partner-assisted biopsychosocial interventions for disease-related pain Substance abuse issues in pain treatment. The personal, social and economic costs of chronic pain. Biobehavioral Approaches to Pain offers clinical and health professionals, psychologists, as well as specialists in pain management or palliative care, new directions in their ongoing dialogue with patients. Given the prevalence of pain in the general population, it should also interest researchers and students in the field of public health.