Pain in later life is both quite common and disabling, and it differs significantly in terms of its aetiology, diagnosis and treatment from pain in the general adult population. Older people often have complicated co-morbidities, have a high prevalence of mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, cognitive impairment, and depression) and respond to treatment in different ways compared to younger people. Their specific needs are rarely discussed specifically in more general texts.
Part of the "Oxford Pain Management Library," this pocketbook will serve as a concise companion for healthcare professionals who manage older patients suffering with pain. Concise chapters will summarize up-to-date reserach literature in a practical style that will have direct relevance to busy clinicians. Introductory chapters will include the epidemiology of pain in older people as well as the proper assessment of older patients with pain conditions. Later chapters will focus on specific painful conditions common in the elderly, including arthritis and rheumatism, osteoporosis, abdominal pain, and cancer.
The book will appeal to a wide variety of health care professionals in both primary care and secondary care services such as geriatric medicine, rheumatology, orthopedics, surgery, pain management and palliative medicine. The book will also be of relevance to nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, pharmacists and other health care providers.

Pain management is a growing area of interest for many health care professionals. It is a truly integrated approach involving a team comprising medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurse practitioners. Different professions may work together but the approach may also be adopted by individual practitioners. Pain Management: An Interdisciplinary Approach deals specifically with the management of potentially chronic l pain, how to assess patients with pain, the factors involved in the development of chronic pain and the setting up and running of a pain management programme. The main focus is on musculoskeletal and fibromyalgic type pain. Cancer pain is not addressed. The authors address not only what is recommended in the management of pain but also whether and why it is done, thereby covering not only the content of interdisciplinary pain management but also the processes involved. An increasing number of courses on pain management are now being set up around the world. This has created an increasing and continuous demand for a textbook which could be used by those attending these courses and which would provide others who have to deal with the problems as part of their day to day practice with guide to best practice. The book provides an essential reference for all health professionals involved in all aspects of pain management. Provides extensive background material and covers broad issues which other books lack Focuses on not only what is done with the management of pain but whether and why it is done Includes the nuts and bolts of setting up and running a pain management programme Addresses the application of pain management programmes in a wide range of fields Has a multidisciplinary approach and therefore appeals to a multidisciplinary market Two new co-authors: Kay Greasley and Bengt Sjolund. Major restructuring of chapters and rewriting of content with new authors for many of them. Greatly increased discussion of biopsychosocial management in individual clinical practice. Addresses the needs of the individual practitioners as well as those working in specialised pain management units. Includes more on primary care and secondary pain prevention. Expanded discussion of the clinical-occupational interfaces. Particular emphasis on the identification and targeting of modifiable risk factors for chronic pain and prolonged disability. The following topics stregthened throughout: communication, the nature of groups, medication and iatrogenics. Potential of an evidence-based biopsychosocial approach to pain management highlighted.