Clinical Assessment of Pain

Abstract

Chapter 6 addresses the clinical assessment of patients with pain, including the pain-focused clinical interview (history of present illness), the patient’s illness narrative, boundary issues and precautions in examining patients with pain, and details of the basic pain-focused examination. Additionally, specific maneuvers for evaluation of common pain-associated conditions are described, including palpating for trigger points, palpation of the spine, straight leg raise testing, evaluations for radiculopathy, sacroiliac dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, neuromas, and headache. The chapter applies the principles of patient-centered medicine, the structured clinical interview, the therapeutic alliance, and trauma-informed care to provide the health professions trainee with a useful introduction to the pain-focused clinical interview and examination.