Pain Management

This book describes the underlying mechanisms and management of pain. It is aimed primarily at undergraduates who traditionally have received somewhat fragment teaching of this important problem within their curriculum. This text bringS the elements of pain training together in one place and improve their understanding. It also helps anybody in the healthcare profession to develop an understanding of pain before moving on to clinical practice or more advanced training. The chapters have a logical sequence building from the basic sciences, introducing possible interventions before addressing assessment and more detailed therapeutic interventions. There are scenarios later in the book to bring together the earlier concepts. This allows the text to be revisited as appropriate throughout the training years or be used as a reference later on.

Introduction. Neurophysiology. Neuroanatomy. Neuropharmacology - introduction. Peripheral mechanisms. Central mechanisms. Non-pharmacological interventions. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol. Local anaesthetics – other membrane stabilisers. Opioids. Adjuvant and miscellaneous drugs used in pain. Peripheral interventions. Pain as a clinical entity. Epidemiology. Pain assessment. Psychological issues and pain. Interventions. Management strategies. Pain, ethics and research.