The Necessity for Early Evaluation of the Chronic Pain Patient

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The Necessity for Early Evaluation of the Chronic Pain

Patient

Another good article from AAPM. Here's the link:

http://www.painmed.org/productpub/statements/earlyevalstmt.html

Inappropriately treated pain seriously compromises

patient's quality of life, causing emotional suffering and

increasing the risk of lost livelihood and social

integration. Severe chronic pain affects both the pediatric

and adult population, and often leads to mood disorders,

including depression and in rare cases, suicide. This

consensus statement applies to patients who have chronic or

intractable pain. In some cases, the underlying cause of

the pain may remain unclear, or misdiagnosis may occur.

Both situations can cause patients even greater despair and

lead to possible overuse of health care resources.

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