Chronic pain epidemiology and its clinical relevance

O. van Hecke, N. Torrance, B. H. Smith

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    458 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Chronic pain affects ~20% of the European population and is commoner in women, older people, and with relative deprivation. Its management in the community remains generally unsatisfactory, partly because of lack of evidence for effective interventions. Epidemiological study of chronic pain, through an understanding of its distribution and determinants, can inform the development, targeting, and evaluation of interventions in the general population. This paper reviews current knowledge of risk markers associated with chronic pain and considers how these might inform management and prevention. Risk factors include socio-demographic, clinical, psychological, and biological factors. These are relevant to our understanding of chronic pain mechanisms and the nature of, and responses to, current and future treatments.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)13-18
    Number of pages6
    JournalBritish Journal of Anaesthesia
    Volume111
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2013

    Keywords

    • Chronic pain
    • pain, psychological variables
    • risk
    • statistics, epidemiology

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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