Anesthesia, Laboratory, Radiology, Dental And Surgical Approaches In The Management Of Chronic Pain

Abstract

Chronic pain is a major public health problem affecting up to one-third of the global population. It imposes immense suffering and financial burden through direct medical costs, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life.

This review aims to summarize current knowledge on chronic pain management approaches, with a focus on strategies employed in the last 5 years.

Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches have roles in chronic pain management. An individualized, multimodal treatment plan tailored to each patient offers the greatest potential for effectively addressing this prevalent issue. Additionally, A comprehensive chronic pain treatment plan involves an array of interventional, complementary, and psychological approaches used adjunctively with pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases was conducted to identify relevant articles published between January 2016 to December 2021. Search terms included "chronic pain", "management", "treatment", and "intervention". Only original research studies on human subjects were included. Reviews, case reports, comments and other non-research publications were excluded. Additional eligibility criteria included articles published in English and focusing primarily on treatment approaches for chronic non-cancer pain lasting over 3 months in duration.

Commonly used drug classes for chronic pain included opioids (Kalso et al., 2021), antidepressants and anticonvulsants. While remaining first-line options, concerns over risks of long-term opioid therapy led to increased emphasis on non-opioid alternatives. Cannabinoids also showed promise, though more research is still needed.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) emerged as an effective psychological intervention for reducing pain severity and disability. Physiotherapy modalities like exercise, manual therapy, and acupuncture provided relief either as monotherapy or adjunct to medical management.

This review highlights a shift toward non-drug and multidisciplinary therapies for chronic pain. Integrated models utilizing both medical and psychological approaches in a biopsychosocial framework show the most promise. However, access to specialized pain services remains limited. Further research is still needed to optimize treatment protocols and long-term effectiveness.

This literature review synthesized a substantial body of recent research on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for chronic pain. While drugs will undoubtedly continue playing an important role, the evidence points toward a shift in emphasis towards integrated, multidisciplinary models that take a more holistic, biopsychosocial view of chronic pain as a complex disease state.

Ultimately, the most effective approach appears to be an individualized, multimodal strategy tailored for each patient's unique needs and circumstances. This integrates pharmacological management with complementary interventional, alternative and psychological modalities delivered through specialized pain programs.