ABSTRACT
Neuropsychologists will almost inevitably be confronted with issues of pain and pain-related disability in their practice. In short, pain and pain-related disability are complex bio-psychosocial phenomena, and consideration of psychosocial factors is essential for a comprehensive understanding and appropriate treatment of pain and patients with pain. This chapter reviews the science of pain and pain-related disability including the neuroanatomy/neuro-physiology of pain as well as the psychosocial/person factors and context/system factors that influence pain-related disability. It reviews the assessment of the patient with chronic pain and discusses behavioral approaches to the management of pain-related disability. The influence of the psychosocial and system factors on pain-related disability has implications for psychological assessment and treatment of the patient with pain, and for behavioral approaches to treatment. The psychological pain evaluation requires a comprehensive approach, one that actively considers all of the factors that can complicate the management of pain.
