Pain clinics and pain clinic treatments

Chronic pain is multi-factorial, and consequently a multidisciplinary approach is essential for its proper management. Pain Clinics may treat acute pain, chronic pain and cancer pain, and need to differentiate between these different conditions. Careful diagnosis and assessment is essential, including history, examination, questionnaires and relevant investigations. A variety of treatments exist to manage chronic pain, some of which have already been discussed in this issue. Treatments may be summarized as drugs, surgical (including nerve blocks), stimulation techniques, psychological techniques and general or physical measures. If a Pain Relief Unit has the ability to provide all of these types of treatment, then it can manage any type of pain, with the ability to relieve pain and improve quality of life greatly in a significant number of sufferers.