Psychosocial Aspects of Pain: A Handbook for Health Care Providers is intended to serve as a comprehensive resource for clinicians who wish to learn about the psychological, psychiatric, and social aspects of pain. Other books on these topics have targeted mental health specialists. This volume, however, has been prepared for a different audience-pain specialists and others in the health care professions, including physicians, nurses, and physical therapists, who would like to learn more about psychosocial issues in the evaluation and treatment of patients with painful conditions. Interest in these aspects of pain and in the particular challenges that often arise in treating pain patients is widespread in health care. This handbook fills an important need by providing, in one convenient volume, a collection of focused reviews of all the information that health care providers need to know about psychosocial aspects of pain.

This multidisciplinary volume provides the latest information on the role of psychosocial factors in chronic, acute, and recurrent pain. Reporting on significant advances in our understanding of all aspects of pain, the volume is designed to help practitioners, students, and researchers in a wide range of health care disciplines think more comprehensively about the etiologies, assessment, and management of this prevalent--and debilitating--symptom. Chapters from leading clinical investigators address many of the most frequently encountered pain syndromes, focusing on the interplay of somatic and psychosocial factors in the experience, maintenance, and exacerbation of pain. Issues related to evaluation, prevention, and management are explored in depth, with coverage of such topics as the role of pain management in primary care settings, the prediction of responses to pain and responses to treatment, and the influence of gender.

Pain is the most common symptom bringing a patient to a physician's attention. Physicians training in pain medicine may originate from different disciplines and approach the field with varying backgrounds and experience. This book captures the theory and evidence-based practice of behavioral, psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological treatments in modern pain medicine. The book's contributors span the fields of psychiatry, psychology, anesthesia, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and nursing. Thus the structure and content of the book convey the interdisciplinary approach that is the current standard for the successful practice of pain management. The book is designed to be used as a text for training fellowships in pain medicine, as well as graduate courses in psychology, nursing, and other health professions.

Since the original publication of this landmark volume, tremendous advances have been made in understanding and managing psychological factors in pain. This revised and greatly expanded second edition now brings the field fully up to date. Designed for maximum clinical utility, the text shows how to tailor psychological treatment programs to patients suffering from a wide range of pain problems. Conceptual and diagnostic issues are discussed, widely used clinical models reviewed, and a framework presented for integrating psychological treatment with medical and surgical interventions. The second edition has been augmented with detailed case material and the latest treatment outcomes data. Thirteen entirely new chapters provide coverage of specific pain syndromes and disorders, as well as interventions for pain-related fear and preparing patients for implantable technologies.

People who suffer from chronic pain are typically found to be more anxious and fearful of pain than those who do not. Recent evidence has shown that the fear itself serves as a mechanism through which chronic pain is maintained over time. Even once the muscle or tissue damage is healed, a fearof further pain can lead to avoidance behaviour, which over time, leads to deconditioning (e.g. decreased mobility, weight gain). This in turn leads to further pain experiences, negative expectancies, and strengthened avoidance. It is the reciprocal relationship between fear and avoidance that isthought to be responsible for maintaining pain behaviour and disability. With fear of pain known to cause significant suffering and functional disability, there is a need for a greater understanding of this condition. This is the first book to explore this topic. It starts by introducing the current theoretical positions regarding pain-related fear and anxiety alongwith relevant empirical findings. It then provides comprehensive coverage of assessment issues and treatment strategies. Finally, the book suggests further areas for investigation. Pain-related fear and anxiety are now receiving considerable attention, and efficient and effective treatments are fast becoming available. This book will help guide and extend our understanding of a condition that has been shown to be associated with substantial suffering and disability.

This comprehensive text is the definitive academic pain medicine resource for medical students, residents and fellows. Acting as both an introduction and continued reference for various levels of training, this guide provides practitioners with up-to-date academic standards. In order to comprehensively meet the need for such a contemporary text—treatment options, types of pain management, and variables affecting specific conditions are thoroughly examined across 48 chapters. Categories of pain conditions include orofacial, neuropathic, visceral, neck, acute, muscle and myofascial, chronic urogenital and pelvic, acute, and regional. Written by renowned experts in the field, each chapter is supplemented with high-quality color figures, tables and images that provide the reader with a fully immersive educational experience. Academic Pain Medicine: A Practical Guide to Rotations, Fellowship, and Beyond is an unprecedented contribution to the literature that addresses the wide-spread requisite for a practical guide to pain medicine within the academic environment.

"Personality Characteristics of Patients With Pain addresses the challenge of accounting for personality traits and disorders to optimize success in pain treatment. Written as a comprehensive source of information, the book examines the role of attributes such as introversion, extraversion, optimism, and perceived locus of control and discusses testing methods for traits and disorders that may influence treatment outcome. This text will be of use to all health-care professionals, from interns to specialists in applied pain assessment and management."--BOOK JACKET.