Publications
APS Bulletin • Volume 13, Number 2, 2003
Resource Reviews
John D. Loeser, MD, Department Editor
Psychological Approaches to Pain Management: A Practitionerıs Handbook, 2nd Edition
Reviewed by Robert N. Jamison, PhD
D.C. Turk & R.J. Gatchel (eds.), New York, The Guilford Press, 2002, 572 pages, $70 (hard cover), ISBN 1-57230-642-4
This book strives to provide the “nuts and bolts” of psychological approaches to pain treatment, and its renowned editors succeed in recruiting some of the most respected scholars in the field to provide practical information and insight on psychosocial and behavioral factors in acute and chronic pain.
This expanded second edition has much more to offer than the first edition (published in 1996). The book has 28 chapters divided into three sections: conceptual, diagnostic, and methodological issues; treatment approaches and methods; and specific syndromes and populations. Fourteen new chapters, which focus on specific pain syndromes, are included in this edition. These new chapters cover headaches, fibromyalgia, whiplash-associated disorders, temporomandibular disorders, pelvic pain, chest and gastrointestinal pain, cancer pain, low back pain, and chronic regional pain, among other topics. Each chapter features overviews of recent developments and recommendations on the best ways to manage those affected by pain. There are many useful tables and figures and multiple cross-references to similar topics in other chapters. The book emphasizes theories and clinical practices that have empirical support, with many practical examples and helpful hints for practitioners.
I found the revised chapter on motivational interviewing by Mark Jensen (featuring examples of clinician-patient dialogue) particularly useful. I encourage anyone who intends to conduct an outcome study on psychological treatments for pain to read the chapter by Stephen Morley and Amanda Williams on conducting and evaluating treatment outcomes. New chapters on prevention of chronic back pain, preparing patients for implantable technologies, somatoform pain disorder and hypochondriasis, and treatment of pain in the elderly are also welcome additions.
There is some necessary overlap with books on pain assessment, and some chapters are stronger than others, but the book appears true to its purpose. The book’s many case illustrations are a major strength, as well.
Regrettably, some of the treatments reviewed and recommended are not funded by third-party payers. Treatment protocols of multiple therapy sessions (e.g., 25 sessions of biofeedback and 10-week, structured pain management groups) are often challenged and not approved by payers. Consequently, individuals who might benefit the most from treatment are often left out. Also, with increasing emphasis on invasive medical interventions for pain (ablative therapies and implantable devices) comes the risk of less integration of psychological approaches to treat people with chronic pain. This book offers therapists the support they need in documenting efficacy of treatment and providing justification for services.
This book is an excellent reference guide for both clinicians who are new to the field and for seasoned practitioners. The editors are to be congratulated for this expanded, up-to-date edition. It is well worth having on hand.
Robert Jamison is associate professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Review content represents the opinion of the reviewer, not APS.