Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Pain

ABSTRACT

Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon that does not fit well within the normal conceptions of health and illness. Pain Management Programs are commonly used to train and support people to self-manage, however, the long-term impact of this biopsychosocial approach remains poorly understood. The social domain can impact on patients’ quality of life more than any other aspect of chronic pain; however, it is rarely addressed by health services.

This report is adapted from paineurope 2014; Issue 2, ©Haymarket Medical Publications Ltd, and is presented with permission. paineurope is provided as a service to pain management by Mundipharma International, LTD and is distributed free of charge to healthcare professionals in Europe. Archival issues can be accessed via the website: http://www.paineurope.com at which European health professionals can register online to receive copies of the quarterly publication.

KEYWORDS :

• pain
• chronic
• psychology
• biopsychosocial
• cognitive behavioral therapy