Ideally, patients with pain-related disability resulting from chronic pain are treated by a team of health professionals, commonly consisting of physicians, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, social workers and nurses,…
Acupuncture is an ancient medical modality of traditional Chinese medicine. It was described in the Huang Di Nei Jing ( Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic ) in 100 bc. Called jin…
This chapter focuses on the physical medicine techniques used to treat patients in pain. At the conclusion of reading this chapter the reader will have a thorough understanding of physical…
This chapter reviews the clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic mechanisms, and side effects of corticosteroids and botulinum toxins. Radiocontrast agents are reviewed in greater detail elsewhere in this text. All of…
A number of psychological interventions have been developed for patients with chronic pain, with a large body of research supporting their efficacy. Before reviewing the approaches with the greatest empirical…
In contrast to the use of a systemic analgesic, use of a topical analgesic may result in relief of pain without the requirement for notable systemic absorption. A topical analgesic…
The use of naturally occurring plant material for the relief of pain dates back to early times. Advances in antipyretic and analgesic medications began in the late 1800s with the…
The second half of the 20th century saw the introduction of a range of therapeutic agents that were shown to have an antidepressant effect. Among these agents were those with…
Medication delivery to the spinal cord or the dorsal nerve roots via the intrathecal or epidural route exploits the endogenous pharmacology of the neuraxis to relieve pain in patients. These…
The term skeletal muscle relaxant is often used to describe a diverse group of medications commonly used in the treatment of back pain ( Table 41.1 ). Medications commonly referred…
