The development of pain medicine

This book provides a view of some problems encountered in the treatment of pain (mainly chronic, non-cancer pain and certainly not an exhaustive view). To cover all the debatable questions and controversies would be almost impossible. We have emphasized that the problem of treating pain is much wider than we are used to thinking. In fact, it has social, behavioral and biopsychosocial aspects. The book is primarily intended for physicians and specialists engaged in the treatment of patients with pain. It will also certainly be interesting for other healthcare professionals who work with pain patients such as psychologists (both clinical and researching), physiotherapists, nurses, social workers and others. It can also be used as a basis for a course on pain treatment for undergraduate students, as well as for the postgraduate education of pain treatment specialists. A variety of authors have composed the different chapters as they are from different specialties of medicine. All of them are extremely well-known in terms of their scientific interests in the field of pain management. Most of them have possessed a huge clinical practice for many years and report their past experiences to the readers. Considering that no consistent approach to healthcare and to the treatment of pain is used worldwide, and that not everyone in need has access to such care, the authors believe that a significant role is played by education, exchange of information, and availability of information among specialists in pain treatment. By editing this book, the authors have sought to fill an empty place, although with limitations. The authors hope that anyone who reads this book may enjoy its contents and participate in a proactive way by also corresponding with them. The authors will gladly accept any criticisms and suggestions with pleasure.