The biopsychosocial approach and considerations involved in chronic pain

Abstract

Chronic pain conditions are currently the most common and economically-burdensome health ailment in the United States. The present article highlights and reviews multiple dimensions associated with chronic pain including; biological, phsycial, psychological and social factors that all need to be assessed and treated simultaneously. This article will review research in several dimensions that are affected by chronic pain which include the economic impact of chronic pain, the current issues with the biomedical approach of treating pain, advantages to the biopsychosocial approach for pain management, and how pain is associated with physical deconditioning, postural control, gait, sleep quality, and psychosocial well-being. Most importantly, this article corroborates with the reviewed research that the biopsychosocial model of pain is the most appropriate model for addressing the aforementioned factors circumscribing such conditions. Finally, this article will underline the development of interdisciplinary interventions, such as functional restoration, that have shown to be both therapeutic and cost-effective in managing chronic pain.