Pain does not discriminate; it affects every person at one time or another. For some, injury heals itself and pain goes away on its own. However, for many, pain can become an all-consuming aspect of life. Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than three consecutive months. Treatment of pain varies from patient to patient according to how long, how severe, how debilitating it has on a patient’s perceived quality of life and underlying pathology.
The opioid epidemic has impacted the clinical management of chronic non-cancer related pain. The Centers for Disease and Protection have established a standard of care in the effective management of chronic pain. The first guidelines were established in 2016, followed by a revised update in 2022.