American Pain Society's 27th Annual Scientific Meeting (May 8 – 10, 2008): Risk Factors for Onset and Persistence of Pain

Chronic pain remains poorly understood and once established is often recalcitrant to treatment. Successful identification of risk factors for chronic pain conditions is important both to create an opportunity for early intervention and to improve pathophysiologic understanding. This symposium will present data from multiple settings regarding clinical, genetic, physiologic, and psychosocial risk factors for the onset and persistence of pain. Dr. Roger Fillingim will provide a brief introduction and heuristic model and will moderate the session. Dr Gary MacFarlane will present findings from his epidemiologic work examining risk factors for chronic widespread pain, as well as other forms of musculoskeletal pain in the general population. Dr. Samuel Mclean will present information regarding genetic, physiologic, and psychosocial predictors of persistent musculoskeletal pain following minor motor vehicle collision. Dr. Robert Dworkin will present the results of studies that have identified risk factors for the development of pain following breast cancer surgery and other surgical procedures and will discuss their implications for the prevention of chronic post-surgical pain. Sufficient time will be allotted for discussion with the audience, which will revolve around commonalities/contrasts in risk factors for onset of pain across these different populations, as well as implications for prevention of chronic pain.