Strategies to Avoid Pain Chronification in PRM Programs

Purpose: Epidemiologic studies show that chronic generalized pain syndromes are found in western societies in more than 10 percent. Chronic generalized pain has high impact on functioning and quality of life and is related to high economic burden to health system and society. Studies show that pain chronification is related to changes in brain functions and alterations in pain regulation mechanisms e.g. extended representation of pain area in brain, reduced reciprocal pain inhibition at brain stem level and alterations in mediator levels, such as Anandamide, Brain-derived Neurotropin Factor and Serotonin. Risk f…