Complex Cases in Pain Management

Chronic pain affects 100 million US adults. It is the #1 reason people are out of work. It is the leading reason that people seek medical attention, costing the nation upwards of $635 billion annually--more than heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined. Given the burden of unmanaged pain in terms of human suffering, societal burden, and healthcare dollars spent, relieving pain has become a national priority. This case based lecture will define the pathophysiology of various pain generators, and provide a comprehensive overview of multimodal management of chronic/persistent and acute pain. The use of pharmacotherapy, nerve blocks, and behavioral management strategies will be emphasized. This lecture will examine the decision making involved in developing a treatment strategy for patients with complex pain diagnosis. Special emphasis will be placed on cancer pain, the patient with an addiction history, central pain, and neuropathic pain. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2016)