Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 1/2008

NON-TUMOROUS PAIN IN THE ALGESIOLOGY PRACTICE – SELECTED ASPECTS

The articel describes specific issues of chronic non-tumorous pain diagnostics ant treatment, including severe forms of pain. It provides epidemiologic data for Slovakia and foreing countries, further characteristics of pain and its classification due to etiological pathophysiology. It is pointing to importance of impact on suffering patient and the whole society and neccesity to understand pain as a complex disease with specific approach to diagnostics and especially to treatment. The principles and novel therapeutic approaches are briefly mentioned as well.

Keywords: chronic non-tumorous pain, central senzitization, epidemiology, treatment of chronic pain, opioids.