Pain can be very difficult to control and, sometimes, even after many months of treatment, the patient may still suffer from chronic pain. This can have many deleterious effects on one’s life. It may affect one’s job, home and relationships with others.
Chronic pain management is designed to help individuals cope with some of the effects of long-term pain. An ideal chronic pain management treatment would be one designed to reduce or eliminate the use of pain medications, maximize physical functioning, overcome psychosocial barriers to recovery and bring the patient to maximum medical improvement. If the patient has not been able to work because of chronic pain, the program may also focus on returning him or her to work or involvement in retraining for a different career.