INTERVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN

Abstract

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Between the site of active tissue damage and the perception of pain lies a complex series of electrochemical events, collectively called nociception. The noxious stimuli are translated into electrical activity, propagated as impulses which are modulated then percepted. Transduction, transmission and modulation interact with the unique psychology for the individual to create the final subjective, emotional experience we perceive as pain. Pain is deemed to be chronic when it persists beyond 3-6 months. Chronic pam 1s a multiheaded dragon that requ1res an assay or weapons to combat. The prognosis 111 chronic pain is guarded and one excepts to cape with pain and not to be cured. The treatment continuum for the patient with chronic pain involves starting with conservative options then progressively initiating more invasive techniques, this requires good assessment and good pain measurement. -- The wide spread societal focus an alleviating suffering and the appropriate treatment of pain has lead to acceptance fo interventional therapies early in the clinical course.