New chronic pain guidelines published

Courtesy of Medscape Medical News

For the first time in more than a decade, an American Society of Anesthesiologists taskforce has updated its chronic pain guidelines. The new recommendations are designed to help clinicians who treat pain. The objectives are to optimize pain control, enhance physical and psychological well-being, and minimize adverse outcomes. The new guidelines appear in the April issue of Anesthesiology. The recommendations apply to patients with chronic noncancer, neuropathic, somatic, or visceral pain.

Treatment should progress from a lesser to greater degree of invasiveness. The new guidelines advocate for multimodal interventions for patients with chronic pain. The taskforce suggests that a long-term approach that includes periodic follow-up evaluations should be developed and implemented as part of the overall treatment strategy. In addition, when available, multidisciplinary programs may be used. The new guidelines detail ablative techniques, acupuncture, blocks, botulinum toxin, electrical nerve stimulation, epidural steroids, intrathecal drug therapies, minimally invasive spinal procedures, pharmacologic management, physical therapy, psychological treatment, and trigger point injections.

Bonnie - glaring omissions? How about diet and nutrients. If this is only updated every 10-15 years, what an astonishing oversight.