The Trifecta: Support for Chronic Pain Management

Chronic pain involves a complex process, with an underlying pathophysiology that is now understood to involve a sensitized state. Understanding the etiology is essential to selecting appropriate treatment modalities. It is also essential to educate patients in a way that can be understood and incorporated into their lives and treatment plans. In this session, cases will be used to highlight clinical decision making and pain management options for patients experiencing chronic pain and central sensitization. We will focus on tapering opioids as part of this management plan, discuss how to taper and which supportive measures assist in developing an effective taper, including best practices around the use of nonopioid analgesics and withdrawal management, as well as effective patient education and programming. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2018)