The assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain.

Chronic pain is an illness in its own right, with its own signs, symptoms, and complications. It has biological, psychosocial, physical, and emotional dimensions and due to its complexity it is often poorly understood. In many cases treatment cannot rely purely on the medical model of analgesic drugs but must encompass the management of all the other factors resulting from the pain. This article discusses the assessment of chronic pain, and the range of treatment methods available.