End-of-life care Introduction End-of-life is usually defined as the final stages of a terminal illness, typically when the prognosis is considered to be ≤6 months. A more meaningful and broader…

Back and lower extremity pain Introduction The back and lower extremities are areas commonly affected by chronic pain. Lower extremity pain may occur in conjunction with back pain (as radicular,…

Neck and upper extremity pain Introduction Neck pain is one of the most common pain complaints heard by primary care practitioners. After low back pain, the neck and upper extremity…

Headache Introduction Headache is a common complaint worldwide, affecting about half of adults in most continents (3.1)1. Regional differences occur, with both migraine and tension-type headache most prevalent in Europe….

Chronic pain management strategies Introduction Chronic pain is typically treated with a combination of medication and nonmedication therapies. While patients often initially want to focus treatment around medications, inclusion of…

Definition and classification of chronic pain Introduction Chronic pain is one of the most common conditions seen in primary care practices, accounting for 40% of office visits (1.1)1. Data from…