Abstract
Because of the great prevalence of chronic pain, it is not surprising that there have been a number of influential reports by the Institute of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization that have documented the medical, social and economic problems caused by it, and the need for better pain-management programs. The present article briefly reviews these reports, and then focuses on three important areas that need to be considered when addressing the continuing and growing epidemic of one of the most prevalent types of chronic pain [chronic low back pain (CLBP)]: the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain; the paradigm shift in medicine from a disease model to an illness model of CLBP; and a review of the treatment- and cost-effectiveness of interdisciplinary chronic pain management programs. This overview will serve as an important prelude to other topics related to low back pain included in this Special Issue of Healthcare. Topics covered will range from assessment and treatment approaches, to important psychosocial mediators/moderators such as coping and pain beliefs.
Highlights
The very influential Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report, “Relieving Pain in America” [1], has highlighted the urgent need for the development of better methods for pain management because the ever-increasing costs associated with current treatment approaches cannot be sustained
100 million American adults have some form of chronic pain, and it is common among children and adolescents
A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that low back pain is one of the major health problems in the U.S, and is associated with the largest number of years lived with disability [5]
Summary
A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that low back pain is one of the major health problems in the U.S, and is associated with the largest number of years lived with disability [5]. Besides the most widely accepted and heuristic approach to chronic low back pain—the biopsychosocial perspective—to be reviewed a host of biopsychosocial-related topics will be presented They range from medical evaluations and other assessment techniques, to low back pain management approaches, including surgery and opioid medication, as well as important psychosocial mediators/moderators such as coping and pain beliefs. An earlier review by Gatchel, Peng et al [12], delineated a number of such moderators and mediators (e.g., emotional distress, catastrophizing, fear avoidance) This Special Issue is meant to provide readers with the most updated information on these important topics related to low back pain
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
