Overview
Comprehensive and case-oriented, Chronic Pain: A Primary Care Guide to Practical Management offers busy healthcare providers a practice-friendly approach to assessing and managing the often complex and time-consuming problems of chronic pain.Synopsis
Chronic pain is frustrating and difficult for the practitioner as well as the patient. Many primary-care physicians are ill-prepared to deal with chronic pain patients and must deal with their own misperceptions that such patients are easy to manage, can be relieved by pills, and will have their other issues (depression, disability, relationship problems) spontaneously resolve along with a decrease in pain. Marcus (Pain Institute, U. of Pennsylvania) works through methods and techniques of treating the patient as well as the pain, making precise and accurate diagnoses, finding appropriate and effective treatment, and working with the patient on the issues associated with chronic pain. She describes the pathogenesis of chronic pain, common pain conditions, and treatment of pain in special groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and children. She includes worksheets and surveys to copy, and the accompanying CD-ROM includes the text in electronic form. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Sally Ling, M.D.;FACP(University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine)
Description:This is a readable and useful book for primary care physicians in the evaluation and treatment of chronic pain. Key chapter points and CME questions at the end of each chapter facilitate participation in a CME program for category 1 credit.
Purpose:The book provides evidence-based approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain conditions in a primary care population. Since a significant number of primary care office visits are pain related, a book focused upon these conditions is desirable.
Audience:This book is targeted at primary care physicians. Pain syndromes in adults, the elderly and pediatric populations are all covered.
Features:The chapters begin with an illustrative case. Key learning points are outlined. The subsequent discussion contains ample charts, illustrations, and clinical work sheets for patients and clinicians that can be duplicated from the book.
Assessment:This is a well written and illustrated book containing many tools that will help clinicians provide better care for their chronic pain patients.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)Description: This book on pain management is part of the Current Clinical Practice Series of high quality, evidence-based books for primary care physicians. This revision of the 2005 edition includes numerous updates consistent with the literature, but also adds helpful assessment tools.
Purpose: The incidence of chronic pain encountered in primary care is high, and this book presents an approach for primary care physicians to use in caring for these patients. It provides a way to assess and treat the complex problems of chronic pain. This is an extremely helpful and practical book.
Audience: Although written by an anesthesiologist, the book covers the broad subject of chronic pain very well, staying away from specialty jargon and complexity, to give primary care physicians a very workable reference. The author is a true authority, one who can summarize the subject in an understandable and concise manner.
Features: The book has a number of unique aspects. First, it takes on the concept of risk management in caring for chronic pain patients. Addressing the fact that there has been significant controversy in trying to find the balance between adequate pain relief and the regulatory issues surrounding chronic pain care, the author highlights pertinent necessities in documenting the assessment and diagnosis. She also presents an approach to treatment guidelines for treating patients with chronic pain and reviews the numerous prominent chronic pain syndromes encountered in everyday medical practice. Numerous sections explore gender and cultural differences in chronic pain, discuss how to approach chronic pain in a patient with a terminal illness, and provide many useful assessment tools. A CD-ROM includes many of the tools and the highlighted boxes and figures from the book.
Assessment: This is a tremendous addition to a primary care practitioner's library and well worth the price.
4 Stars! from Doody