Psychological Methods of Pain Control: Basic Science and Clinical Perspectives (Progress in Pain Research and Management, Volume 29)

Remarkable progress has been made in understanding both the psychological factors that influence pain, including attention, emotions and expectation, and psychological methods of pain control, such as hypnosis. This progress has several sources, including improved designs of both experimental and clinical studies and the interface of brain imaging with thoughtful questions. We have learned that pain can be powerfully influenced by addressing factors that pertain to the patients' perception of treatments. This book explains fundamental principles underlying the psychological control of pain. Understanding these principles fulfills an important need for those seeking a scientific understanding of pain control, as well as for those who treat pain patients.

Donald D. Price, PhD, is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Neuroscience at the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida.
M. Catherine Bushnell, PhD, is Director of the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada, where she also serves as Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and as Harold Griffith Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology.