RT Book, Section A1 Falco, Frank J. E. A1 Onyewu, C. Obi A1 Zhu, Jie A2 Maitin, Ian B. A2 Cruz, Ernesto SR Print(0) ID 1105130350 T1 Interventional Pain Management T2 CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071793292 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1105130350 RD 2024/03/28 AB Chronic pain is one of the most common medical problems encountered by physicians. It has been described as an unpleasant sensation that persists for at least 4 months, and often continues for an indefinite period of time. In the United States alone, more than 90 million people suffer from a variety of chronic pain syndromes. Chronic pain often disrupts family life, reduces function, and is a financial strain. Chronic pain is more common and causes more disability than cancer and heart disease combined. The drain on the U.S. economy produced by chronic pain is enormous, amounting to more than 100 billion dollars a year in medical expenses, lost work productivity, and insurance costs.