Around 30 years ago, clinicians realised knowledge around the care of patients with pain was not as strong as other areas of medicine. This meant the needs of many patients experiencing pain were not being met. Now, the field of pain medicine is recognised as a medical specialty in its own right in Australia and New Zealand. This is an important development, as it means specialised clinicians have the education, training and practice to deal with the widespread problem of pain in the community.
Commonly recognised types of pain include:
- Acute pain - This could be after an operation, after trauma, or as part of an acute episode of pain caused by a medical condition.
- Cancer pain - Pain caused by a tumour, cancer diagnostic or therapeutic interventions, or cancer treatment.
- Chronic (or persistent) non-cancer pain - Including over 200 chronic pain conditions described in the International Association for the Study of Pain's Classification of Chronic Pain Second Edition (Revised). Chronic pain is seen in every age group and across all medical disciplines.
This short animated video provides information to patients and carers about the role of specialist pain medicine physicians and the management of chronic pain in Australia and New Zealand.
More patient information about managing pain
As pain medicine is a multi-disciplinary specialty, specialist pain medicine physicians come from a variety of backgrounds.
Opioids are a class of medicines taken to help reduce pain. They work on the central nervous system to slow down nerve signals between the brain and the body.
We've collated a range of resources for pain patients and their families.