American Pain Society's 27th Annual Scientific Meeting (May 8 – 10, 2008): Traumatic Onset of Chronic Pain

Patients with chronic pain as a result of traumatic onset are more difficult to treat than patients whose pain did not originate traumatically. This symposium will review the treatment, and possible prevention of chronic pain originating traumatically in three different environments- the athletic field, the battlefield, and the highway. Dr. Hainline will review musculoskeletal overuse injuries in tennis athletes, sometimes of traumatic onset. Chronic muscle maladaptation leads to repetitive stress injuries and chronic pain. Racket technology, changes in the biomechanics of ground strokes, and a longer season have led to new previously rare injuries. Dr. Cohen will provide an overview of war-related and non-battle-related injuries (NBI). Innovative methods to prevent and treat both battle and NBIs include dispensing rapid-onset opioids, early and aggressive use of anticonvulsants for the wounded-in-action, use of forward-deployed pain treatment capabilities, and the local administration of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Dr. Turk will review traumatic onset of pain as a result of whiplash injury resulting from motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) which often lead to protracted pain primarily because of fear of activity/reinjury. The results of a clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy of exposure-based treatments to reduce fear and prevent disability will be presented.