Ranjan Roy

THE PLENUM SERIES IN ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING
Series Editor: Jack Demick, Suffolk University, Boston Massachusetts

THE CHANGING NATURE OF PAIN COMPLAINTS OVER THE LIFESPAN

Michael R. Thomas and Ranjan, Roy
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

This volume brings together the epidemiological and psychosocial aspects of chronic pain at various stages throughout the human lifespan. As readers and clinicians understand the intricate nature of chronic pain and life transition events, the benefits become clear: there may be more options available for chronic pain management. Drawing on nearly 20 years of research, the authors stress that chronic pain has no respect for age, striking at any time in the human life cycle.

Using this contemporary viewpoint, Thomas and Roy underline the significance of life transition theories to health and illness. Within this single volume, they have written 11 chapters that cover an overview of life-event issues with an emphasis on childhood chronic pain as well as on chronic pain in early adulthood, the middle years, and old age. The Changing Nature of Pain Complaints over the Lifespan includes discussions of:

• Recurrent abdominal pain and headaches in children;
• Specifics of family and psychosocial problems as influenced by chronic pain throughout the lifespan;
• Epidemiology of chronic pain in each of the age groups; and
• Extensive literature review on chronic pain.

With these fresh insights, this groundbreaking book fills a gap in the chronic pain literature. It provides researchers with the current state of research on this relevant topic and gives clinicians engaged in the treatment of chronic pain the life-cycle perspective to augment their treatments. Other health professionals who will benefit are psychologists, social workers, and nurses.