Integrative Pain Management

This book provides an overview of pain mechanisms as currently understood, and details a variety of approaches to pain management used across a wide range of complementary disciplines. A final chapter integrates these body-based and mind-body approaches, and helps the clinician offer the most effective care for the patient. The first part of the book discusses pain symptoms and the ways in which pain is experienced by individual patients. This section deals with the anatomy and pathology of pain, and describes present views of what causes pain to occur and persist. Integrative care concepts are presented, emphasizing multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing pain. In the second part, expert contributors describe therapeutic approaches to addressing pain conditions and implementing self-care management options, specific to the various disciplines. When available, research supporting the evidence for these interventions is incorporated. In the last chapter, the editors model various care pathways based on these approaches to assist healthcare practitioners in deciding how to effectively co-manage pain, including guidance on when and where to refer.