pain management
the prevention, reduction, or elimination of physical or mental suffering or discomfort, which may be achieved by pharmacotherapy (e.g., administration of opioids or other analgesics), psychological interventions, neurological and anesthesiologic methods (e.g., nerve blocks, self-administered pumps), complementary or alternative methods (e.g., acupuncture, acupressure), or a combination of these. Among psychological interventions, biofeedback and relaxation have been used alone and in conjunction with cognitive techniques to treat chronic headaches and facial pain. Hypnotherapy has been used successfully to treat acute pain and pain associated with burns and metastatic disease. Cognitive and behavioral coping-skills training, training in external attentional focus and in the use of neutral or positive imagery, approaches designed to improve problem-solving and communication skills, and psychotherapeutic
approaches have been combined with physical modalities in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes.