Pain Management (ISSN: 1758-1869)

Description

Pain is a common, complex and distressing problem– three of the top four principal reasons for US emergency department visits are pain-related. Although acute pain can be a useful alert to a disease or other problem, and usually resolves when the cause has been remedied, it is crucial that treatment is quick and effective to avoid reduced quality of life. Chronic pain, in contrast, presents an enduring challenge, be it related to injury that has healed, due to an unresolved cause such as arthritis or cancer, or in some cases, even when there is no evidence of previous injury or damage to the body. Chronic pain increases in prevalence with age, and as populations become increasingly aged, effective pain management strategies become highly important. Also important is the problem of acute pain transitioning to chronic pain – it is estimated that 85% of the general population will experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and while for most this pain will ease within 4–6 weeks, it is estimated that in up to 30% of these cases pain will persist for a year or more.
Pain Management presents findings, analysis and commentary on the battle with acute and chronic pain. The journal provides guidance to the interdisciplinary pain management community regarding the most effective pain strategies.
The manifestations of pain and its consequences, both physical and emotional, are diverse and problematic. Each individual also reacts to pain in a different way, creating unique challenges in appropriate classification and treatment.
Pain Management provides a key resource for physicians and other professionals when navigating these uncertainties to provide optimal treatment.
Topics covered include:
Physiology and mechanisms of pain
Transition from acute to chronic pain
Therapeutic options
New concepts and breakthroughs in pain control
Interventional procedures
Non-pharmacologic approaches
Acute and postoperative pain control
Pain management in oncology
Special pain syndromes
Palliative care
Pediatric and aging health
Pharmacology and addiction/abuse of pain medication
Adverse events and drug safety
Pharmacoeconomics, outcomes research and quality of life