Overview of pain states

Abstract

Pain medicine is dedicated to the relief and/or control of pain in patients with various painful conditions/states. It is rapidly expanding and has become a true multidisciplinary specialty. It often requires interdisciplinary and multimodal approaches to prevention, management, and rehabilitation of pain conditions. Effective therapeutic strategies depend on proper clinical assessment and mechanistic understanding of a particular pain condition in each patient. Adequate and effective clinical assessment with appropriate methodology (history, physical exam, and diagnostic imaging and diagnostic procedures) holds the key to clinical understanding of pain conditions. Relevant anatomy, cellular and molecular pathophysiology, and pharmacology are fundamental elements in the mechanistic understanding and treatment of pain states. Effective treatment is typically personalized and often evidence based. However, it is important to understand that not all patients have been tested and each patient is unique in their pain presentation and response to therapy. Physicians need to weigh the risk and benefits of available treatment options and tailor therapeutic strategies to fit the individual needs of each patient.