Assessment of acute and chronic pain

Acute and chronic pain states overlap in chronology and pathophysiology but both can remain under-managed. Assessment aims to elucidate underlying diagnosis and/or pain generators that can then guide treatment strategies. Assessment should be repeated to assess efficacy of treatments and the presence of side effects. Self-report questionnaires are available to assist in diagnosis and monitoring of pain and its related dimensions but they do not replace a thorough assessment by an experienced clinician.