Phantom Limb Pain
Introduction The phenomenon of phantom limbs has probably been known since antiquity, but the first medical descriptions were not published until the 16th century. Historically, Silas Weir Mitchell (1829-1914) is…
Central Post-stroke Pain Syndrome
Introduction and Historical Context Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) syndrome is uncommon after stroke and occurs in only about 8% of patients. However, because of the common occurrence of stroke, CPSP…
Neuropathic Pain Syndromes
Introduction Neuropathic pain comprises a wide range of heterogeneous conditions. Various types of neuropathic pain may have distinct pathophysiologic causes and different clinical signs and symptoms. Despite the diversity of…
Cancer Pain
Background Cancer pain is a result of cancer growth in human tissues or the pain produced by any of the therapies implemented to treat it. Ideal management starts with a…
Pain in Selected Neurologic Disorders
Chronic pain is an accompaniment of many neurologic disorders. Although chronic pain may be the defining feature in certain neurologic disorders, neurologists and primary care practitioners often focus mainly on…
Low Back Pain
Low back pain (LBP) is the most common cause of pain and disability in modern society, and costs related to disorders that cause LBP amount to billions of dollars each…
Neurosurgical Approaches to Pain Management
Neurosurgeons have a long history of surgically treating pain, particularly cancer pain. The notion that sectioning pain pathways could achieve pain control was first introduced by Spiller and Martin in…
Disability Assessment
Introduction Physicians dealing with the evaluation and treatment of patients with chronic painful and disabling conditions can expect to be called on from time to time to formally assess the…
Pediatric Acute Pain Management
Recognition and treatment of acute pain in children have vastly improved the care of pediatric patients. Data emphasizing the efficacy of adequate pain control and decreases in adverse neurohormonal changes…
Prediction and Prevention of Persistent Post-Surgical Pain
Chronic pain as an outcome of surgery is an area of investigation that has received increased attention over the last 15 years. Twenty years ago there were a few identified…
