Introduction to the Chronic Pain Patient
There are over 50 million patients living with chronic pain in the United States. Nearly 20 million have high impact chronic pain and live each day either succeeding or failing in their attempt to manage it and live functional lives. Chronic pain as a co-morbid condition makes most other diseases worse. When patients are hospitalized with acute illness, outcomes are worse for those dealing with chronic pain, and if chronic pain is not also considered then these patients suffer. This manual starts by introducing key concepts and terms when discussing and measuring pain. Seventeen case examples provide relevant considerations and information for the management of chronic pain in patients admitted to the hospital. Medical, interventional, and surgical treatment options are then presented. Strategies for palliative care management of pain are presented. Finally, this manual ends with a section outlining transition plans for hospital discharge and managing de-escalation of acute care and the resumption of outpatient chronic pain management.
