There is sufficient reason to classify some ongoing pain problems as syndromes. Patients who suffer with chronic, intractable, benign pain syndromes (CIBPS) have truly functional biopsychosocial disorders. There is no longer any current pathophysiology operative, and the pain syndrome persists with its psychosocially perpetuating and disrupting features. An intense group psychotherapy approach in the therapeutic milieu of a medical-surgical setting fosters and evokes affect expression and understanding. This encourages the formation of cognitive patterns that are therapeutically useful in that they extend coping abilities and, hence, diminish the pain and suffering experience and life problems attendant to it.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed1976

What is a pain center?

The authors present the concept that a multi-disciplinary interdepartmental pain center should include: 1) an initial out-patient pain clinic, 2) an inpatient pain service for diagnosis of pain problems and treatment of patients with intractable pain, including pain from cancer, 3) a psychotherapeutically-oriented chronic benign Pain Unit, 4) facilities for clinical and basic pain research, and 5) affiliations for an adequate teaching program.

California↗