Introduction
The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.
Helen Keller
The greatest evil is physical pain.
St. Augustine
The subject of pain remains an elusive and controversial one, largely due to its subjective experience, which poses difficulty in determining its etiology and for diagnosis. Chronic nonmalignant pain is more difficult to understand, assess and treat than acute pain or cancer pain. The reality is that most of these patients cannot be cured, and some remain completely intractable to traditional medical treatment. Those that suffer from chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome should be seen regularly for trials of any reasonable, safe approach, for psychological support and provided coping strategies that may make life more tolerable.
A diagnosis of a pain-associated disorder includes components of both a physical and emotional or psychological nature. What is of primary importance, and often the most significant barrier, is the largely subjective experience of the disorder. This poses a difficulty for both the medical and legal professions when faced with the difficult task of determining the extent, duration and effect of chronic pain on the Plaintiff. Despite these difficulties, however, there have been numerous developments, both in the medical and legal communities in understanding pain associated disorders including Chronic Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
For the full article, click to download: Understanding and Managing Cases Involving Chronic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: The Plaintiff's Perspective