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Brief Pain Inventory Introduction The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is a self-administered assessment tool used in pain management. The BPI was originally developed from a measure known as the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire. The basic aim of the BPI is to provide the information on the intensity of pain, along with the degree to...

Planning for Flare-Ups Introduction Pain flare-ups typically refer to those times when the chronic pain is more intense than usual. From a statistical viewpoint, if pain is being measured on a 0 to 10 pain intensity scale, with the zero level implying no pain, a flare-up will mean episodes in which the pain is...

Assertiveness and Communication and Chronic Pain Introduction Chronic pain is typically defined as a pain that lasts for more than six months and does not respond to the conventional medicines and therapies. Apart from physical aspects, chronic pain strongly affects the psychological mindset of the individual and mars the overall confidence level. According to...

Medication and Chronic Pain Introduction Chronic pain is defined as a type of pain that persists for more than three months and goes beyond the expected time of healing. Such pain often fails to respond to conventional pain medication and occurs due to various reasons including external injuries, unsuccessful surgeries and the like. Medication...

Treating acute lower back pain Introduction Acute lower back pain is defined as pain in the lower back that starts suddenly and is severe. Usually in these cases the pain is caused by an obvious injury, such as lifting a heavy object incorrectly or starts after an awkward fall. However, it can also be...

Combination medication for the treatment of neuropathic pain Introduction Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state, most often accompanied by a tissue injury. According to various studies, neuropathic low back pain affects an estimated 5.6 million people in the US. The condition is typically characterized by a burning and shooting pain, along with...

Patients with persistent pain – The revolving door patient The Basics Pain is essentially defined as a natural response of the body that acts a warning to indicate harm or potential danger to tissues in the body. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience...

Glucosamine and Osteoarthritis Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is an arthritis type that is caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage of one or more joints. The main areas, which are affected by OA, include fingers, spine and weight-bearing joints including hips, knees and feet. The condition of osteoarthritis is typically characterized by the...

Osteoarthritis in the Knee Introduction Osteoarthritis is the common form of arthritis and usually occurs with wear and tear of the joints. The osteoarthritis of the knee begins with the gradual deterioration of cartilage. Without the protecting cartilage, the bones begin to rub together, causing pain, loss of mobility and deformity. Articular cartilage is...

Alternative Management –Acupuncture/Osteopathy/Chiropractic/Pilates Introduction Alternative management of lower back pain has gained immense popularity in the recent years with medical practitioners as well as the patient groups. Alternate and complementary forms of treatment are finding an acceptance in traditional medical communities like never before. Here, we give a brief insight in to some of...