Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Pain

Abstract

More than 600 million people globally are estimated to be living with chronic pain. It is one of the most common complaints seen in an outpatient setting, with over half of patients complaining of pain during a visit. Failure to properly diagnose and manage chronic pain is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, especially when opioids are involved. Furthermore, it is a tremendous financial strain on the healthcare system, as over USD 100 billion is spent yearly in the United States on healthcare costs related to pain management and opioids. This exceeds the costs of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer-related care combined. Being able to properly diagnose, manage, and treat chronic pain conditions can substantially lower morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States. This review will outline the current definitions, biopsychosocial model, subclassifications, somatosensory assessments, imaging, clinical prediction models, and treatment modalities associated with chronic pain.

Keywords: biopsychosocial; chronic pain; pain approach; pain classification; pain diagnostics.