Acute and chronic pain places a huge burden on our society. Approximately 10% of the population in Western countries report suffering from chronic pain, and both chronic and acute pain are responsible for high absenteeism in the workplace. It is therefore crucial that we have effective ways of treating pain. Unfortunately though, we have no objective measures of pain - no blood tests, no urine dipsticks. We have to rely on what the patient tells us. So how then do we know what are and what are not effective pain treatments? It is here that the principles of evidence-based medicine have been of great value - helping us to understand the most effective forms of pain treatment. Bandolier's Little Book of Pain is a unique portable guide to evidence-based pain treatments. For each possible treatment, the book provides the evidence supporting the efficacy of the treatment, along with a clinical bottom line, for those requiring immediate information. Written by world leaders in the field of evidence-based pain treatments, the book will be indispensable for the multi-disciplinary professionals managing acute and chronic pain in primary and secondary care.

This textbook is written as a comprehensive overview of acute pain management. It is designed to guide clinicians through an impressive array of different options available to them and to patients. In the last decade there has been a flurry of interest in the extent to which acute pain can become chronic pain, and how we might reduce the incidence of such chronicity. This overview covers a wide range of treatments for pain management, including the anatomy of pain pathways, the pathophysiology of severe pain, pain assessment, therapeutic guidelines, analgesic options, organization of pain services, and the role of anesthesiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, and nurses in providing optimal care. It also discusses the use of patient-controlled analgesia and how this may or may not be effective and useful.