Chronic pain: clinical features, assessment and treatment

• Main Authors: Mackintosh, Carolyn, Elson, Sue
• Format: Article
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Analgesia; Analgesics / pharmacology / therapeutic use; Anticonvulsants; Antidepressive Agents; Chronic Disease; Cognitive Therapy; Complementary Therapies; Great Britain / epidemiology; Humans; Nerve Block; Nursing Assessment; Pain / diagnosis; Pain management; Pain measurement; Prevalence; Questionnaires; Severity of Illness Index; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10454/6969

A significant number of people in the UK experience chronic pain, resulting in high levels of suffering and reduced quality of life. Management of chronic pain is complex, time consuming and not always successful. Good communication between patients and healthcare professionals is essential to ensure realistic treatment plans and outcomes can be negotiated. Accurate assessment is also key, and nurses play a fundamental role in ensuring patients with chronic pain receive the most appropriate care.