Internationally-recognized pain expert Don Goldenberg helps readers better understand the intricacies of chronic pain through the lens of personal stories, including his own. One out of three Americans lives with chronic pain. Pain is the number one reason we seek medical care and accounts for 40% of doctor visits. Chronic pain is the most common cause of work loss world-wide. The yearly cost of chronic pain in the United States is between $560-$630 billion, higher than that of heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined. Despite this, physicians and the public are woefully ill-informed about chronic pain. The litany of self-help books available to the public are largely misleading, quick-fix, junk-science. Although there is a major push to better inform primary health-care providers on chronic pain, they have been provided no authoritative treatment of the subject. The Pain Epidemic provides the latest medical information and pathways to better understanding and treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Don Goldenberg, an internationally known expert on pain, here discusses such hot topics as the opioid epidemic, mind/body interactions in chronic pain, and gender bias, as well as the role of cannabis and new potential pain treatment. Interested readers will come away with not only a better understanding of the pain epidemic but of pain itself.

There are numerous types of headaches, each with a unique cause, pain profile, and set of treatment options. This book offers readers a broad introduction to this common, yet often misunderstood, group of conditions. What exactly is going on in your body during a headache? How can they be prevented or managed? How can you tell if your splitting headache is actually a brain tumor? This book provides the answers to these and many other questions. What You Need to Know about Headaches is the latest volume in Greenwood's Inside Diseases and Disorders series. This series profiles a variety of physical and psychological conditions, distilling and consolidating vast collections of scientific knowledge into concise, readable volumes. A list of "top 10" essential questions begins each book, providing quick-access answers to readers' most pressing concerns. The text follows a standardized, easy-to-navigate structure, with each chapter exploring a particular facet of the topic. In addition to covering such basics as causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, books in this series delve into issues that are less commonly addressed but still critically important, such as effects on loved ones and caregivers. Case illustrations highlight key themes discussed in the book and are accompanied by insightful analyses and recommendations. A holistic approach to the subject covers such often-overlooked areas as societal perceptions and impact on family and friends An Essential Questions section provides quick answers to the questions readers are most likely to have and serves as a springboard to explore the content of the book in more detail Case Illustrations provide relatable, real-world examples of concepts discussed in the text An annotated Directory of Resources points readers toward useful books, organizations, and websites, acting as a gateway to further study and research

This book offers an in indictment of the nation's drug enforcement approach focusing on the short-sighted policies that often deny patients suffering from chronic pain the medications they need. Pain Control and Drug Policy: A Time for Change focuses on America's national crisis in pain management caused by the widening divergence between the enormous contributions of opioids ("narcotics") to pain management in the clinical setting and the mistaken belief that they are dangerous, highly addictive drugs. After dissecting the strategy and tactics of the War on Drugs from medical, historical, legal, socioeconomic, and geopolitical perspectives, Guy Faguet MD indicts the 40-year-long War on Drugs for having failed to stem the supply of illicit drugs in America despite expenditures of half a trillion dollars, despite violating the basic human right to pain relief of tens of millions of American chronic pain sufferers, and despite fomenting organized crime, government corruption, racial injustice, and social disruption in both the United States and the producer countries. He concludes with a clarion call for the abandonment of the War on Drugs, disbanding the Drug Enforcement Administration, and encouraging Congress to repeal the Controlled Substances Act. As a clinical and research oncologist responsible for the chronic pain management of thousands of cancer patients over the course of his 30-year career, Dr. Faguet knows that the most effective and safest way to manage most cases of chronic pain is with opioids. All modern pain-management textbooks advocate "titration to effect" in cases where opioids help: that is, gradually increasing the dosage until either the pain is acceptably controlled or the side effects begin to outweigh the pain-relief benefits. Yet the vast majority of doctors don't practice what the medical textbooks teach and instead prescribe opioids very reluctantly and conservatively. As a result, only half of all chronic pain sufferers-and fewer than half of all cancer patients-get adequate pain relief from their doctors. Why do physicians radically undertreat pain that is susceptible to opioid analgesics? They fear that if they prescribe Schedule II opioids in accordance with the professional standards of pain management set by such medical bodies as the American Pain Society, they will be investigated by the DEA, stigmatized, prosecuted as criminals, stripped of their licenses, and sent to jail. Visit Guy B. Faguet, MD's website here: www.faguet.net.

This accessibly written book examines the most commonly used substances and techniques for managing pain, exploring why they work (or don't), their risks and benefits, and key research findings regarding their use. No one is a stranger to pain. From sudden injuries to post-operative discomfort to nagging aches and stiffness, pain is an unwelcome but familiar part of life. There are numerous methods for managing pain, but it can be difficult to know which is the best fit and to separate truth from hype. Pain Management: Fact versus Fiction examines 30 well-known options for combating pain, whether acute or chronic. Utilizing a standardized structure, each entry discusses a particular substance or technique's origins and underlying principles, how and in what context it's used, and its advantages and disadvantages. Summaries of key research studies are included to help readers better determine which treatments may be a good choice for them. Introductory materials give readers a foundational understanding of what pain is, how it's categorized and measured, and the impact it can have on individuals' physical and psychological well-being. A Further Reading section at the end of each entry points readers toward additional resources to expand and deepen their knowledge. Provides unbiased, evidence-based information to help readers make better decisions about how to manage their pain Summarizes and contextualizes key research findings in easy-to-understand language Utilizes a standardized structure to make it easy for readers to find the exact information they're looking for Covers allopathic therapies as well as complementary and alternative treatments

Chronic pain is a major cause of distress, disability, and work loss, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent through the general move towards an ageing population, which impacts dramatically upon society and health care systems worldwide. Due to improvements in health care, it is becoming more common for patients to continue living with long-term illness or disease (rather than these being terminal). Yet little attention has been paid to chronic pain as a public health problem or to the potential for its prevention, even though it can be studied and assessed using concepts and ideas from classical epidemiology.
This book takes an unusual approach in making a symptom the focus of public health research and policy. Written by leaders in the field of pain, it fills a gap in current literature by presenting chronic pain in terms of cause, impact, consequence and prevention. It presents individual conditions as examples of chronic pain, together with chapters that provide overviews on the assessment of pain and methodological issues behind population assessment.
Chronic Pain Epidemiology - From Aetiology to Public Health provides an invaluable framework and basis for thinking about chronic pain and the potential for its prevention in public health terms. It will appeal to readers from public health, epidemiology and policy perspectives, and those involved in the treatment of pain - such as pain researchers, clinicians and specialists. It will also be an invaluable resource for postgraduate students studying pain management, public health, and epidemiology.

The incidence of neuropathic pain continues to rise, yet it is an affliction often misdiagnosed or inadequately treated. Although in recent years considerable research has been dedicated to understanding its mechanisms, there have been few advances in treatment. The contributors to this book are internationally renowned leaders in the fields of peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain. They discuss clinical approaches to diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain, its underlying mechanisms, and strategies for prevention. In addition, chapters cover timely issues, including legal and ethical concerns surrounding pain treatment, the status of clinical trial methods, and educational efforts. Comprehensive yet concise, this book serves as a guide for diagnostic approaches and treatment of neuropathic pain for the student, resident, practicing physician, researcher, and specialist.

The aim of this book is not only to introduce readers with a broad spectrum of biological actions of the NOP receptor, but also to feature a detailed look at the N/OFQ-NOP receptor system, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical data of NOP-targeted ligands. This special volume book - for the first time focusing on the NOP receptor - is designed to serve as a useful reference, stimulate more research on the N/OFQ-NOP receptor system, and lead to more development of NOP-related ligands for several therapeutic applications.

A practical and empathetic guide to a revolutionary approach to living well with chronic pain, based on the fundamental principles that: all pain experienced is real; wherever the trouble originates in the body, pain is experienced in the brain; all pain is unique to the individual sufferer; the key to overcoming pain is not to strive to be pain-free but to minimise the experience of it. Dr Miranda, based on her medical practice as a pain specialist and on her experience as a pain patient, shows how to do this through a series of clearly explained tools and strategies.

Yes, today she feeds the goose that lays the golden eggs But her life once read like a mystery, because for forty-five years she had spasms of the face and neck, her head would ring and, most baffling of all, she had an ache deep in her chest like she was having a heart attack. Unbeknownst to her family, she lived with depression from the age of ten, until finally ending up in a psychiatrist's little crash pad shortly after having a beautiful little girl. From here she began a quest to try to do herself in-she tried six times Then it finally became apparent she was living with chronic pain, and a sublime head injury that kept her from accomplishing her quest of a nursing career. Then, in 2002, at the age of fifty-four, she finally threw up her arms and became willing to do whatever it took to get her life back. She began the twelve-step process of recovery that would open her life to healing. She soon found herself, strangely, thanking God for her affliction. Then, one day in June of 2002, she decided to live. Today she still has the pain but no longer suffers. Now it is a blessing to have lived, because her life has become part of one very big, ongoing miracle, a miracle of which you, the reader, are a part.

This book critiques the current approach to the self-management of persistent pain. The drive towards self-management of chronic pain is flourishing as healthcare systems struggle to facilitate the care of those with long term health conditions. In this book Karen Rodham argues that albeit an empowering idea, self-management has not yet been fully translated from idea to practice and as such, runs the risk of blaming and shaming the person living with a chronic condition for failing to manage their condition effectively. She contends that the additional stress of this tension may in fact worsen their condition. Drawing from the research evidence as well as her practice experience, she advocates a move away from the terms 'self' and 'management' towards a more collaborative approach. One which takes account of the life-context of the person who is living with persistent pain. This book explores the shortcomings of the tendency to focus on self-management without taking into account life context and considers how we got here and what can be done. It will be a valuable resource to researchers and practitioners, especially in the field of health psychology.

The book begins with a public health/epidemiologic examination of the situation, with a systematic view of the problem based on classic (infectious disease) epidemiologic principles applied to this behavioral health issue. This application is expanded to take into account the fact that unlike most epidemics in our species' history, a unique factor that must be accounted for in any public health analysis is that the host (opioid-dependent/misusing patient) is generally not under sufficiently strong motivation to avoid the disease. The introduction concludes with a survey of recent containment approaches, categorized epidemiologically by target (agent, vector, host.) The remainder of the book is organized according to this framework, addressing agent, vector/transmission and host, respectively. Sections Three and Four comprise the major focus of the book, and are dedicated primarily to practical education for primary care providers in preventing opioid use disorder, and overcoming it after the fact.

Cannabis sativa has a long history; however, it has not been fully exploited for its beneficial uses. This plant can solve many present challenges, including challenges found in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Bioprospecting of this very important plant can generate economic upliftment of weaker sections of society and states if properly used under rules and regulations. Cannabis sativa Cultivation, Production, and Applications in Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics discusses in detail the current research conducted in the area of Cannabis sativa in order to make it more useful and sustainable for the future. It further focuses on the exploration of Cannabis sativa phytoconstituents in various fields, especially in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Covering topics such as bioactive properties, molecular modeling, and soil pollutants, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for pharmacologists, pharmacists, health professionals, food scientists, agricultural scientists, botanists, chemists, students and educators of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Despite the proliferation of pain clinics and various pain-oriented therapies, there is an absence of data supporting any substantial change in the statistics regarding the incidence, development and persistence of pain. As renowned pain clinician and scientist Daniel M. Doleys argues, there may be a need for a fundamental shift in the way we view pain. In this thoughtful work, Doleys presents the evolving concept and complex nature of pain with the intention of promoting a broadening of the existing paradigm within which pain is viewed and understood. Combining neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy of science, this book reviews the history of pain and outlines the current concepts and theories regarding the mechanisms involved in the experience of pain. Experimental and clinical research in a broad array of areas including neonatal pain, empathy and pain, psychogenic pain, and genetics and pain is summarized. The notion of pain as a disease process rather than a symptom is highlighted. Although there is a continued interest in activation of the peripheral nociceptive system as a determining factor in the experience of pain, the growing appreciation for the brain as the intimate 'pain generator' is emphasized. The definition of consciousness and conscious awareness and a theory as to how it relates to nociceptive processing is discussed. Finally, the author describes the potential benefit of incorporating some of the concepts from systems and quantum theory into our thinking about pain. The area of pain research and treatment seems on the precipice of change. This work intends to provide a glimpse of what these changes might be in the context of where pain research and therapy has come from, where it currently is, and where it might be headed.

This comprehensive revision of the invaluable reference presents a rigorous survey of pain and palliative care phenomena across the lifespan and across disciplines. Grounded in the biopsychosocial viewpoint of its predecessor, it offers up-to-date understanding of assessments and interventions for pain, the communication of pain, common pain conditions and their mechanisms, and research and policy issues. In keeping with the current public attention to painkiller use and misuse, contributors discuss a full range of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to pain relief and management. And palliative care is given expanded coverage, with chapters on interventive, ethical, and spiritual concerns. * Pain, intercultural communication, and narrative medicine. * Assessment of pain: tools, challenges, and special populations. * Persistent pain in the older adult: practical considerations for evaluation and management. * Acute to chronic pain: transition in the post-surgical patient. * Evidence-based pharmacotherapy of chronic pain. * Complementary and integrative health in chronic pain and palliative care. * The patient's perspective of chronic pain.* Disparities in pain and pain care. This mix of evolving and emerging topics makes the Second Edition of the Handbook of Pain and Palliative Care a necessity for health practitioners specializing in pain management or palliative care, clinical and health psychologists, public health professionals, and clinicians and administrators in long-term care and hospice.

Handbook of Pain and Palliative Care:Biobehavioral Approaches for the Life Course Rhonda J. Moore, editor This book takes both a biobehavioral and a lifespan approach to understanding long-term and chronic pain, and intervening to optimize patients' functioning. Rich in clinical diversity, chapters explore emerging areas of interest (computer-based interventions, fibromyalgia, stress), ongoing concerns (cancer pain, low back pain), and special populations (pediatric, elderly, military). This coverage provides readers with a knowledge base in assessment, treatment, and management that is up to date, practice strengthening, and forward looking. Subject areas featured in the Handbook include: Patient-practitioner communication Assessment tools and strategies Common pain conditions across the lifespan Biobehavioral mechanisms of chronic pain Pharmaceutical, neurological, and rehabilitative interventions Psychosocial, complementary/alternative, narrative, and spiritual approaches Ethical issue and future directions With the rise of integrative perspective and the emphasis on overall quality of life rather than discrete symptoms, pain management is gaining importance across medical disciplines. Handbook of Pain and Palliative Care stands out as a one-stop reference for a range of professionals, including health practitioners specializing in pain management or palliative care, clinical and health psychologists, public health professionals, and clinicians and administrators in long-term care and hospice.

How do doctors and nurses communicate with frightened patients who are dying, address the needs and concerns of the patients, and help the patients arrive at an acceptance of death? This work deals with the relationship that the health care team has with the dying and how well that team is prepared to address the fears of the dying. In addition, the health care team must learn to deal with their own emotions and ignorance concerning death. This work should be of interest to those professions that deal closely with dying people.

Pain is the most common reason people seek medical help. The treatment of chronic pain is a major unmet clinical need and its impact on health, well-being, society and the economy is immense. Pain is an integrative, whole-systems (patho)physiological phenomenon and behavioural neuroscience plays a key role in advancing our understanding of pain. This volume brings together a series of authoritative chapters written by leading experts in preclinical and clinical aspects of pain neurobiology. Behavioural approaches to the study of persistent or chronic pain in animal models or humans are at the core of the volume, but the anatomical, physiological, neurochemical and molecular mechanisms that underpin behavioural alterations are also emphasized.

This book is designed to focus on the role of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) in health and disease. This peptide, originally discovered in the 1980s as a sensory neuropeptide with cardiovascular effects, is now known to play a distinct role in the pain processing of migraine. The various chapters address the origin, localization and function of CGRP and its receptor in the peripheral nervous system, in the cardiovascular system, and in other tissues and organs. Further attention is paid to the drug discovery pathway where recent findings show the beneficial effect of small molecule antagonists of the CGRP receptors for the relief of the migraine attack and of monoclonal antibodies against CGRP or the CGRP receptor for migraine prevention.