Ethics and pain: Why and for whom?

Abstract

This paper gives a historical overview to the development of this special issue of Pain Medicine. A brief synopsis of the articles of this issue is offered followed by a review of characteristics of pain, pain patients, and the system we practice in, that can lead to ethical dilemmas. These issues include the inherent difficulty of "curing" chronic pain, the psychopathology of chronic pain patients, end-of-life issues, the patient-physician relationship, the use of unproven methods, the vulnerability of pain patients, the increasing economic pressures of pain clinics, litigation, and the workers' compensation system.