resources for education on pain and its management: a

Resources for Education on Pain and Its Management: A Practitioner’s CompendiumB. Eliot Cole, MD, MPA

Corresponding authorB. Eliot Cole, MD, MPAAmerican Society of Pain Educators, 6 Erie Street, Montclair, NJ 07042, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Current Pain and Headache Reports 2009, 13: 110 –119Current Medicine Group LLC ISSN 1531-3433Copyright © 2009 by Current Medicine Group LLC

Knowing enough information about pain and its management to adequately care for people in pain may seem challenging, especially for primary care providers who provide the bulk of pain manage-ment services in the United States. Few, if any, primary care providers received training beyond the names of a few analgesics and the rudiments of pain assessments. Fortunately, many national and international societies provide health care practi-tioners with pain-related education, resources, and

of practitioners. Due in large part to the World Wide Web, much information about pain is readily available online.

IntroductionThe need to know about managing pain has grown beyond traditional pain specialists (mostly anesthesi-ologists, along with some neurologists, physiatrists, and psychiatrists) to primary care providers (eg, fam-ily physicians, internists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) [1••]. Very few health care providers, includ-ing practicing pain specialists, have received formal pain

do what they can for their patients by extrapolating beyond the minimal training they received during their years of professional training [2••]. For most practi -tioners, what they know about pain and its management comes from continuing education (CE) programs, articles in pain-related publications, promotional presentations,

pharmaceutical detailing, advertisements, and word-of-mouth from peers and patients [3••].

With no single source of information about pain that is universally recognized, most practitioners do what they can to keep abreast of the latest information relative to their primary discipline and/or specialty. An article such as this one is intended to provide a brief historical over-view of pain education, linkages between education and

tion, information about the many pain organizations, and trends in continuing professional education. Examples are provided in the following sections and their associ-ated tables, with these intended to be illustrative but not “all inclusive” (Table 1 and Table 2). What follows is one pain educator’s take on the world of pain education and information in late 2008.

Overview of Pain Education in the United StatesPain education occurs at two fundamentally di�erent levels: professional and lay. Professional pain educa-tion is intended for health care practitioners, directed to allied therapists (occupational and physical), nurses (practical/vocational, registered, and advanced practice), pharmacists (hospital and retail), physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, and others [4,5]. Lay pain education is directed to patients and their family members and caregivers, or to the general public. Although there is considerable overlap in the subject matter at the conceptual level, there are distinct educa-tional di�erences between professional and lay learners about pain and its management. No single pain educa-tion program is adequate for all audiences, especially when looking at the learning needs of each of the two major groups. Practitioners need to know what to do for

answers, practical advice and solutions, and “how to” tips for negotiating the medical system.

For health care professionals, pain-related membership organizations o�er the bulk of pain education in the United States. The American Academy of Pain Management (AAP-

Resources for Education on Pain and Its Management I Cole I 111

Man) partners with CECity to o�er online pain education through its Learning Center in addition to the content of its Annual Clinical Meeting and various CE o�erings in

its publication, The Pain Practitioner [6]. The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPMed) says that as the “voice of pain care professionals everywhere,” it provides

Table 1. Pain organizations and useful websites

Pain organizations having an emphasis on pain education

American Academy of Orofacial Pain (www.aaop.org)*

American Academy of Pain Management (www.aapainmanage.org) †

American Academy of Pain Medicine (www.painmed.org) ‡

American Pain Society (www.ampainsoc.org)*

American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (www.asipp.org) ‡

American Society of Pain Educators (www.paineducators.org) †

American Society of Pain Management Nurses (www.aspmn.org) ‡

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (www.asra.com)*

Canadian Pain Society (www.canadianpainsociety.ca)*

International Association for the Study of Pain (www.iasp-pain.org)*

International MYOPAIN Society (www.myopain.org)*

Society for Pain Practice Management (www.sppm.org)*

Disease/syndrome-specific organizations with information about their condition

American Arthritis Society (www.americanarthritis.org)

American Cancer Society (www.acs.org)

American Headache Society (www.americanheadachesociety.org)

National Fibromyalgia Research Association (www.nfra.nt)

National Vulvodynia Association (www.nva.org)

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (www.rsds.org)

Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (www.endthepain.org)

Pain advocacy groups providing information for the public and professionals

American Chronic Pain Association (www.theacpa.org)

American Pain Foundation (www.painfoundation.org)

Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org)

National Fibromyalgia Association (www.fmaware.org)

National Headache Foundation (www.headaches.org)

National Pain Foundation (www.nationalpainfoundation.org)

Neuropathic Pain Network (www.neuropathicpainnetwork.org)

Race Against Pain (www.raceagainstpain.com)

The Neuropathy Association (www.neuropathy.org)

Pharmaceutically supported websites providing pain education/information

Chronic Pain Network ([King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol, TN]; www.chronicpainnetwork.com)

Emerging Solutions in Pain ([Cephalon, Inc., Frazer, PA]; www.emergingsolutionsinpain.com)

Pain Balance ([Alpharma Inc., Bridgewater, NJ]; www.painbalance.org)

PainEDU ([Endo Pharmaceuticals, Chadds Ford, PA, and King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.]; www.painedu.org)

Pain Knowledge ([Endo Pharmaceuticals]; www.painknowledge.org)

Partners Against Pain ([Purdue Pharma LP, Stamford, CT]; www.partnersagainstpain.com)*Provides an annual/biennial/triennial meeting or more specifically addresses pain and its management. †Provides credentialing/certification in pain management/medicine or pain education. ‡Provides preparation for another entity granting credentialing/certification in pain.

112 I Psychiatric Management of Pain

“premier . . . educational opportunities for pain specialists and nonspecialists alike” through its publications, newslet-ters, and Annual Meeting [7]. The American Pain Society (APS) provides practitioner education through its Annual

clinical practice guidelines [8]. The American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE) holds an annual Pain Educators

tive of pain educators and posts many of its presentations

online, along with disseminating information through its publications [9]. Dental, medical, nursing, and pharmacy societies include pain-related articles in their organizations’ publications, o�er pain lectures and pain-themed tracks at their annual meetings, and have pain materials available on their websites. Many easily acces-sible learning opportunities are available for health care professionals interested in knowing more about pain regardless of their discipline.

Table 2. Useful publications

Publications for opioid prescribers (sponsoring/granting entity, year of publication)

Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide (Federation of State Medical Boards, 2007)

Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain , 5th Edn (American Pain Society, 2003)

Practitioner’s Manual (Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control, 2006)

Pharmacist’s Manual (Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control, 2004)

PainEdu.org Manual (PainEdu.org with a grant from Endo Pharmaceuticals [Chadds Ford, PA], 2007)

A Practical Guide for Prescribing Controlled Substances (Alpharma Inc. [Bridgewater, NJ], 2007)

A Clinical Guide to Opioid Analgesia (Vendome Group LLC [New York, NY] with a grant from Endo Pharmaceuticals, 2007)

Major comprehensive pain textbooks (first editor/author, year of publication)

Bonica’s Pain Management , 3rd Edn (Loeser JD, 2001)

Principles and Practice of Pain Medicine , 2nd Edn (Warfield CA, 2004)

Raj’s Practical Management of Pain , 4th Edn (Benzon HT, 2008)

Wall and Melzack’s Textbook of Pain , 5th Edn (McMahon SB, 2006)

Weiner’s Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians , 7th Edn (Boswell MV, 2006)

Useful pain books, not textbooks (first editor/author, year of publication)

Atlas of Common Pain Syndromes , 2nd Edn (Waldman SD, 2008)

Atlas of Uncommon Pain Syndromes , 2nd Edn (Waldman SD, 2008)

Clinical Manual of Pain Management in Psychiatry (Leo RJ, 2007)

Clinical Pain Management: Acute Pain (Rowbotham DJ, 2003)*

Clinical Pain Management: Cancer Pain (Sykes N, 2003)*

Clinical Pain Management: Chronic Pain (Jensen TS, 2003)*

Clinical Pain Management: Practical Applications and Procedures (Breivik H, 2003)*

Decision Making in Pain Management , 2nd Edn (Ramamurthy S, 2006)

Ethical Issues in Chronic Pain Management (Schatman ME, 2007)

Pain Medicine: A Comprehensive Review , 2nd Edn (Raj PP, 2003)

Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management (Howard FM, 2000) †

Physical Diagnosis of Pain: An Atlas of Signs and Symptoms (Waldman SD, 2006)

The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Pain Management , 2nd Edn (Ballantyne J, 2002)

The Pain Clinic Manual , 2nd Edn (Abram SE, 2000)

Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual Volume 1, Upper Half of Body , 2nd Edn (Simons DG, 1999)

Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual Volume 2, The Lower Extremities (Simons DG, 1992) ‡

*A new edition is expected in late 2008. †A new edition is expected in early 2009. ‡A new edition is expected (date remains unknown). §Atlases by Walden listed in this section accompany this book. ¶ No new edition since 1998, so dated.


For lay people, pain education is commonly tied to the provision of treatment and improving treatment outcome

treatment options, informed consent is obtained (not just for interventional methods, but increasingly for the use of opioids and other services), treatment adherence is improved through better understanding about the purpose for the therapy, and treatment compliance is enhanced (leading to better outcome). Several pain advocacy organizations for pain su�erers (eg, American Pain Foundation, National Pain Foundation, National Fibromyalgia Association) o�er lay education, serve as information clearinghouses and referral centers for the public, and help those in pain connect with willing providers. Some professional groups maintain portals for the public to use when visiting their websites, allowing lay people to learn more about pain and its control.

Linkages Between Pain Education and

For health care professionals, lifelong learning is expected. Information changes rapidly, and most health care providers have licensure requirements for continuing education. In very few states is pain knowledge spe-

have required pain education as a condition for license renewal. California requires medical students to receive formal education about pain during medical school (in 1999, AB 791 amended Business and Professions Code section 20890 [13]) and all medical license holders (except for pathologists and radiologists) to obtain 12 hours of pain education once (in 2001, AB 487 amended Busi-ness and Professions Code section 2190.5) [14]. Oregon


Clinically useful volumes from the Progress in Pain Research and Management series and more recent publications from IASP Press (first editor/author, year of publication)

Molecular Neurobiology of Pain , Vol. 9 (Borsook D, 1997)

Sickle Cell Pain , Vol. 11 (Ballas SK, 1998)

Assessment and Treatment of Cancer Pain , Vol. 12 (Payne R, 1998)

Opioid Sensitivity of Chronic Noncancer Pain , Vol. 14 (Kalso E, 1999)

Sex, Gender, and Pain , Vol. 17 (Fillingim RB, 2000)

Neuropathic Pain , Vol. 21 (Hansson PT, 2001)

Spinal Cord Injury Pain , Vol. 23 (Yezierski RP, 2002)

Opioids and Pain Relief , Vol. 25 (Meldrum ML, 2003)

Psychosocial Aspects of Pain , Vol. 27 (Dworkin RH, 2004)

The Genetics of Pain , Vol. 28 (Mogil JS, 2004)

Psychosocial Methods of Pain Control , Vol. 29 (Price DD, 2004)

Hyperalgesia , Vol. 30 (Brune K, 2004)

CRPS , Vol. 32 (Wilson PR, 2005)

Pain in Older Persons , Vol. 35 (Gibson SJ, 2005)

Emerging Strategies for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain (Campbell JN, 2006)

Central Neuropathic Pain: Focus on Poststroke Pain (Henry JL, 2007)

Sleep and Pain (Lavigne G, 2007)

Interventional pain textbooks and atlases (first editor/author, year of publication)

Atlas of Interventional Pain Management , 2nd Edn (Waldman SD, 2004)

Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniques , 2nd Edn (Waldman SD, 2007)

Interventional Pain Management , 2nd Edn (Waldman SD, 2001) §

Interventional Pain Management: Low Back Pain—Diagnosis and Treatment (Manchikanti L, 2002)

Interventional Radiology in Pain Treatment (Kastler B, 2006)

Neural Blockage in Clinical Anesthesia and Management of Pain , 3rd Edn (Cousins MJ, 1998) ¶

Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management (Hadzic A, 2006)*A new edition is expected in late 2008. †A new edition is expected in early 2009. ‡A new edition is expected (date remains unknown). §Atlases by Walden listed in this section accompany this book. ¶ No new edition since 1998, so dated.

(Continued)


mandates that all health care providers obtain 7 hours of pain education once (in 2001, SB 885 created the Oregon Pain Management Commission and the “one-time only” pain management CE requirement tied to health care providers’ license renewals) [15]. These mandated pain education requirements have not yet become requirements in most other jurisdictions, but suggest the need for more organized pain education during professional training and practice.

For health care professionals interested in highly spe-cializing in pain management/medicine, there are formal pain fellowships commonly lasting for 12 to 24 months. However, most pain practitioners acquire pain education

their license renewal, many pain professionals obtain CE in pain as part of their process of self-specialization, thereby enhancing their professional credibility. Many national pain organizations (eg, AAPMan, AAPMed,

American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians [ASIPP] [16], ASPE, American Society of Pain Manage-ment Nurses [ASPMN] [17]) provide curriculum intended

credentialing examination o�ered directly by the organi-zation itself or some other entity doing so (eg, American Board of Medical Specialties’ [ABMS] constituent boards in anesthesia, neurology, physical medicine and rehabili-tation, and psychiatry; American Board of Pain Medicine [ABPM]; American Board of Interventional Pain Physi-cians [ABIPP]; and American Nurses Credentialing Center

does not prove that someone is the best pain practitioner, it does demonstrate a commitment to professionalism and sets the holder of such a credential apart from those

sary for pain professionals, there is no equivalent for the


Peer-reviewed pain journals and magazines (sponsoring organization)

Acute Pain (affiliated with the Special Interest Group on Acute Pain of the International Association for the Study of Pain)

Clinical Journal of Pain (Eastern Pain Association)

European Journal of Pain (European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain)

Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain (International MYOPAIN Society)

Journal of Pain (American Pain Society)

Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)

Journal of Opioid Management

Journal of Orofacial Pain (American Academy of Orofacial Pain)

Molecular Pain

Pain (International Association for the Study of Pain)

Pain Management Nursing (American Society of Pain Management Nurses)

Pain Medicine (American Academy of Pain Medicine)

Pain Physician (American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians)

Pain Research & Management (Canadian Pain Society)

Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (American Society of Pain Management Nurses)

Techniques in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management

Non–peer-reviewed pain publications (sponsoring organization)

Current Pain & Headache Reports

The Pain Practitioner (American Academy of Pain Management)

Practical Pain Management

PainView (American Society of Pain Educators)

Pain Medicine News

MDNG: Pain Management*A new edition is expected in late 2008. †A new edition is expected in early 2009. ‡A new edition is expected (date remains unknown). §Atlases by Walden listed in this section accompany this book. ¶ No new edition since 1998, so dated.

(Continued)


lay community required or recommended. With “peer counselors” as the best example, the degree of training

the organizations they represent. This does not mean that peers providing pain information through national advo-cacy groups lack formal training, but that information

Useful Sources of Pain InformationMany pain organizations o�er annual meetings, websites with useful resources, and publications with research articles and current news. Pharmaceutical companies with pain medications maintain “objective” websites, support CE programs, underwrite national and regional conferences, and distribute nonbranded disease state publications. Although the national pain organizations

status with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education [ACCME] or parallel bodies for nurses, pharmacists, and others), they provide curriculum that is less biased. Manufacturers historically support education that has some connection to their therapeutic area. In recent years, there has been much concern about the potentially self-serving nature of education provided by manufacturers and resistance on the part of health care professionals to shoulder the real costs associated with unsupported educational o�erings. Finding the bal-

the way education is provided.

Pain organizationsAmerican Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) is the pro-fessional organization for orofacial pain specialists, most of whom are dentists. Organizationally, the AAOP is dedicated to the alleviating of pain and su�ering through the promotion of excellence in education, research, and

spring and publishes the Journal of Orofacial Pain [18].AAPMan is the inclusive, interdisciplinary organiza-

tion serving clinicians who treat people with pain through education, setting standards of care, and advocacy. It pro-vides continuing education for acupuncturists, allopathic physicians (including family physicians), athletic trainers, chiropractors, counselors, dentists, nurses, nurse anes-thetists, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, and others as an approved provider or a cosponsor with other bodies. It holds an annual Clinical Meeting each fall and publishes The Pain Practitioner [6]. Through its Learning Center, members may obtain CE o�erings “on demand.” In the past, AAPMan published the American Journal of Pain Management .

AAPMed is the medical specialty society representing

involved in education, training, advocacy, and research in the specialty of pain medicine. The group describes itself as multidisciplinary in approach, incorporating modalities from various medical specialties to ensure the comprehen-sive evaluation and treatment of the pain patient. It holds an Annual Meeting each winter and publishes a monthly journal, Pain Medicine [7]. Through its e�orts, the ABPM

osteopathic physicians who have done allopathic residency

American Pain Society (APS, a national chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain [IASP] and the parent organization for several regional chapters within the United States) is a multidisciplinary community that brings together a diverse group of scientists, clinicians, and other professionals to increase the knowledge of pain and transform public policy and clinical practice to reduce pain-related su�ering. APS is the most research oriented of the

ing each spring and publishes its Journal of Pain monthly. In the past 4 years, APS has continued the work started by the former Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and has issued several pain guidelines, including Manage-ment of Cancer Pain in Adults and Children ; Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome Pain in Adults and Children ; Management of Pain in Osteoarthritis ; Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Chronic Arthritis ; and Management of Acute and Chronic Pain in Sickle-Cell Disease [8].

ASIPP is an organization representing interventional pain physicians. It publishes the Pain Physician monthly and issues practice guidelines frequently. The organiza-

interventional methods of pain control (eg, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal pumps, vertebroplasty, kypho-plasty, sacroplasty, and cadaver courses), political action,

Coding, Compliance, and Practice Management; and

and Radiological Safety [16].ASPE is dedicated to improving pain management

through the education and training of health care profes-

organization teaching health care professionals to serve as resources to educate their clinical peers, as well as patients, families, and caregivers, on ways to relieve pain by the safest means possible. ASPE holds its annual Pain Educators Forum each September in conjunction with the PAINWeek Annual

educators and publishes a quarterly PainView newsletter with teaching tips and instructional methods [9].


ASPMN advances and promotes optimal nursing care for people a�ected by pain by promoting best nursing practices.

a partnership venture between ANCC and ASPMN. Their

cation is Pain Management Nursing [17].American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain

Medicine (ASRA) is the largest subspecialty society in anesthesiology. The three interconnected functions of the society include education in regional anesthesia and pain management, research in regional anesthesia and pain management, and pain medicine grounded in continuing

ASRA is an organization addressing the clinical and professional educational needs of physicians and scien-tists; assuring excellence in patient care utilizing regional anesthesia and pain medicine; and investigating the sci-

fall meetings, the former devoted to regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine and the latter devoted to chronic pain medicine. It publishes a bimonthly journal, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine [19].

Canadian Pain Society (CPS, a national chapter of IASP) includes as its members physicians, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, and other clinicians involved with pain management; scientists involved in the design of improved methods of pain management and the

professionals involved in education, training, and pub-

Pain Research and Management and holds an Annual Meeting each spring.

health professionals’ organization dedicated to promoting information about soft-tissue pain disorders like myo-

publishes the Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain and holds a MYOPAIN conference every 3 years that alternates between the United States and other countries.

Society for Pain Practice Management (SPPM) is dedi-cated to educating specialists in the area of pain treatment and practice management. The objectives of SPPM are to promote health and wellness by advancing the art and sci-ence of the specialty of pain management. SPPM o�ers an annual spring Pain Management Symposium and an annual fall Comprehensive Interventional Pain Manage-ment Anatomical Course [20].

Organizations for painful disorders

for professionals and the public alike. American Arthritis Society, American Cancer Society, American Headache Society, National Fibromyalgia Research Association,

D ystrophy Syndrome Association, and Trigeminal Neural-gia Association are the better known of these groups. Most hold annual clinical meetings, have specialty journals, and

one that is broken up into state chapters is American Can-cer Society, with educational activities distinctly directed to professionals and the general public through di�erent arms of the organization.

Pain advocacy organizationsPain advocacy groups provide direct support for patients and their family members. Many serve as clearinghouses for information about pain in general (eg, American Chronic Pain Association, American Pain Foundation, National Pain Foundation, Race Against Pain) and others focus on particular painful disorders (eg, Arthritis Foundation, National Fibromyalgia Association, National Headache Foundation, Neuropathic Pain Network, The Neuropathy Association). Unlike the groups listed in the previous sec-tion, these do not provide professional education.

Commercially supported websitesMany opioid manufacturers have become sponsors of pain information websites managed by medical education com-panies. Although none of the following websites overtly promotes the medications of the sponsoring companies, these websites clearly address issues related to the pre-scribing of opioids, especially for long-term management of chronic pain. Some of these sites include the Chronic Pain Network, Emerging Solutions in Pain, Pain Balance, PainEDU, Pain Knowledge, and Partners Against Pain. Most of these sites o�er a number of useful tools and screening forms to identify the presence of prescribing

mitigate risk. Some websites o�er CE programs, webi-nars, and links to live dinner meetings.

Publications intended for prescribers of opioidsPrescribers of opioids for pain management may wish to obtain some of these publications: Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide ; Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain , 5th Edn; Practitioner’s Manual ; Pharmacist’s Manual ; The PainEdu.org Manual ; A Practical Guide for Prescribing Controlled Substances ; and A Clinical Guide to Opioid Analgesia . The Practitioner’s Manual and the Pharmacist’s Manual

ally are the “rule” books from the US Department of Justice on the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances.

Comprehensive textbooks about painNumerous comprehensive textbooks exist for those wish-

for a deep understanding about pain, its management,


better known comprehensive textbooks include: Bonica’s Pain Management , 3rd Edn; Principles and Practice of Pain Medicine , 2nd Edn; Raj’s Practical Management of Pain , 4th Edn; Wall and Melzack’s Textbook of Pain , 5th Edn; and Weiner’s Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians , 7th Edn. These books have di�erent perspectives, with Wall and Melzack’s Textbook of Pain considered to be the most academic of the grouping, and

Raj’s Practical Management of Pain has just been updated and is con-

examination preparation. Weiner’s Pain Management o�ers information about integrative (ie, complementary and alternative) medicine not found in the others.

Useful booksThere are many useful books ranging from atlases to series to single tomes intended for clinicians at di�erent levels

aspects of pain management. The best known of the atlases include Atlas of Common Pain Syndromes , 2nd Edn and its companion, Atlas of Uncommon Pain Syndromes , 2nd Edn; and Physical Diagnosis of Pain: An Atlas of Signs and Symptoms . For those interested in a clinically focused series, the four volumes of the Clinical Pain Management series are quite good: Acute Pain , Cancer Pain , Chronic Pain , and Practical Applications and Procedures . The two Travell and Simons’ books ( Travell and Simons’ Myofas-cial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual Volume 1, Upper Half of Body , 2nd Edn and Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual Volume 2, The Lower Extremities ) unravel the mystery of soft-tissue pain better than most others.

Clini-cal Manual of Pain Management in Psychiatry and Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management ). Other helpful books address decision making, ethics, board preparation, and pain management in general: Decision Making in Pain Management, 2nd Edn; Ethical Issues in Chronic Pain Management; Pain Medicine: A Comprehensive Review , 2nd Edn; The Massachusetts General Hospital Hand-book of Pain Management , 2nd Edn; and The Pain Clinic Manual , 2nd Edn.

Progress in Pain Research and Management series from IASP PressFor more than a decade, IASP had been o�ering outstand-ing books within the series Progress in Pain Research and Management, and more recently as specialty o�erings. The most useful of the series for practitioners include The Molecular Neurobiology of Pain , Vol. 9; Sickle Cell Pain , Vol. 11; Assessment and Treatment of Cancer Pain , Vol. 12; Opioid Sensitivity of Chronic Noncancer Pain , Vol. 14;

Sex, Gender, and Pain , Vol. 17; Neuropathic Pain , Vol. 21; Spinal Cord Injury Pain , Vol. 23; Opioids and Pain Relief , Vol. 25; Psychosocial Aspects of Pain , Vol. 27; The Genet-ics of Pain , Vol. 28; Psychosocial Methods of Pain Control , Vol. 29; Hyperalgesia , Vol. 30; CRPS: Current Diagnosis and Treatment , Vol. 32; and Pain in Older Persons , Vol. 35. IASP o�ers recent single topic titles not included in the series, including Emerging Strategies for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain , Sleep and Pain , and Central Neuro-pathic Pain: Focus on Poststroke Pain . IASP also publishes

, 2nd Edn; Epidemiology of Pain ; Back Pain in the Workplace ; Pain in the Elderly ; and Core Curriculum for Professional Education in Pain , 3rd Edn. Information in the Core Curriculum aided the work group developing the job analysis for the CPE’s examina-tion given by the ASPE.

Interventional pain textbooks and atlasesFor those interested in interventional pain medicine, a number of atlases and books provide extensive informa-

available, and more about this aspect of pain management. Whereas many of the comprehensive textbooks previ-ously mentioned give adequate coverage of interventional

topic. Useful atlases include Atlas of Interventional Pain Management, 2nd Edn and Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniquessubject include Interventional Pain Management , 2nd Ed; Interventional Pain Management: Low Back Pain—Diagnosis and Treatment ; Interventional Radiology in Pain Treatment ; Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain ; Neural Blockage in Clinical Anesthesia and Management of Pain , 3rd Edn; and Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management .

Peer-reviewed pain journals and magazinesOver the past 20 years, there has been continuous growth

the publications are peer reviewed and indexed for online searches. Most professional pain publications serve as the

provide society news as well as scholarly research. These publications include Clinical Journal of Pain ; European Journal of Pain ; Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain ; Journal of Orofacial Pain ; Journal of Pain ; Journal of Pain and Symptom Management ; Pain; Pain Medicine ; Pain Phy-sician ; Pain Research and Management ; and Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine . These publications serve as sources of information about emerging medications, procedures, and technologies. Pain is in a class by itself

publications are unique in that they are not linked to any professional societies but provide focused reviews on

Journal of Opioid Management ;


Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy ; and Techniques in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Manage-ment. The latter presents interventional techniques in a highly visual format. Molecular Pain is unique in being an open-access, online “publication.”

Non–peer-reviewed pain publicationsThese publications are not peer reviewed but address practical issues related to providers working with patients in pain. The Pain Practitioner is the monthly publication of AAPMan and is intended for its members; some issues

Practical Pain Management is intended for the top 10% of analgesic prescribers in the United States and is sent to pain specialists and primary care providers (PCPs). Its articles cover selected pain treatments, and most issues have relevant opioid-prescribing information. PainView is the quarterly publication of ASPE and intended for its members. Issues include articles with a focus on pain edu-cation and contain “teaching tips” to aid pain educators. Pain Medicine News and MDNG: Pain Management are also both intended for the top 10% of analgesic prescribers in the United States and sent to pain specialists and PCPs. The former provides information presented at recent meet-ings, newsworthy information, and similar topics, and the latter provides information about professional societies, sources of pain information, and “deconstruct” websites to allow readers to preview them in advance. Current Pain & Headache Reportsof pain and rotates topics on an annual basis.

Comments About Pain EducationThe purpose of pain education is multifaceted. Overtly, practitioners want to be able to match therapies to condi-tions. Educators need resources understandable by health care professionals at many levels of knowledge about pain, its mechanisms of generation, means by which therapeu-tic methods relieve pain, and methods of determining

agement (eg, KnowPain-50) [21••]. Lay people want to get the “big” picture about their pain, and want to know what can be done. Education for patients leads to better under-standing about the reasons for pain, the approaches used for its control, and the importance of adhering with treat-ment recommendations. Currently, there is no single group or body charged with pain education for these di�erent needs. As the Executive Director for ASPE, I know that pain educators are needed to take education to the next level just as diabetes educators have professionalized the delivery of diabetes education. There will likely never be a single best way to teach anything, but the need to teach more people about pain management must not be left to well-intentioned, yet unprepared, “teachers.” At this point of maturation in our professional development, it is

necessary to move beyond the “see one, do one, teach one” approach to pain management.

ConclusionsMy apologies are o�ered to websites, societies, publications, or entities that were not cited in this article. The number of o�erings now available to educate pain specialists, PCPs, and others is staggering. The bottom line is that there are plenty of resources to serve as primers for those just interested in dipping their toes into the world of pain, there are many more that take those so inclined for a “deeper dive,” and there are many specialized resources to prepare candidates

tions and to aid clinicians in their day-to-day understanding of complicated aspects of pain. The atlases are helpful for patient education and prove the old saying: “A picture is better than a thousand words.” This article gives readers a

develop a single repository for available resources to make the practice of pain management/medicine easier.

DisclosureDr. Cole is a speaker and an advisor for Eli Lilly. He is also an advisor for Abbott Laboratories and Meda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

References and Recommended ReadingPapers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as:• O f importance•• Of major importance

1.•• Harris JM, Elliott TE, Davis BE, et al.: Educating generalist physicians about chronic pain: live experts and online

Pain Med 2008, 9: 550–563.

Using pretest-posttest design knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about

improved immediately and then persisted for 3 months.2.•• Roth CS, Burgess DJ: Changing residents’ beliefs and

concerns about treating chronic noncancer pain with opioids: evaluation of pilot workshop. Pain Med 2008, 9: 890–902.

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pain education initiative: a multifaceted approach to resident education. J Pain 2007, 8:152–160.

A 1-day workshop for residents using a combination of standardized patients, small groups, and large group lectures addressing residents’

gains in knowledge, clinical skills, and increased comfort regarding chronic pain management.4. Sloan PA, LaFountain P, Plymale M, et al.: Cancer pain

education for medical students: the development of a short course on CD-ROM. Pain Med 2002, 3: 66–72.

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6. American Academy of Pain Management: Home Page. Available at http://www.aapainmanage.org. Accessed October 2008.

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13. Anonymous: Assembly bill 791, chapter 403. Available at

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medical education. Available at http://www.medbd.ca.gov/licensee/continuing_education_laws.html. Accessed October 2008.

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The KnowPain-50 showed good psychometric validity and appears to distinguish among physicians with di�erent levels of pain management experience.

resources for education on pain and its management: a

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