Abstract

MERAYO, L. A.; LOPEZ-MILLAN, J. M.  and  SANCHEZ-BLANCO, C.. Evaluation and psychological preparation of the patient candidates to implantables therapies for treatment of chronic pain. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.8, pp.589-602. ISSN 1134-8046.

Electric neurostimulation techniques along with intrathecal drugs infusión techniques are of choice for the treatment of chronic pain refractory to other therapies. An indiscriminate selection of patients, or their incomplete assessment, leads to increase the rate of implantation failure, and therefore of therapeutic failures. Most of experts agreed that psychological factors of the patient with chronic pain should be evaluated as part of the interventional pain management before and after to carry out the implant in the frame of a multidisciplinary approach. In this article, we propose to perform not only the psychological assessment but also a training of the patients so they face up this particular situation and that permit them to obtain better therapeutic results. Why is important to accomplish a psychological assessment, when and how should has to be done, and which are the particular profile for each one of the techniques, are other topics discussed here. We have reasons to believe that psychological training for the patient with chronic pain candidate to interventional therapy with implantable systems could be an important goal to bear in mind before and after to perform the implant for those patients with better adaptative prognostic profile.

Keywords : Implantable systems; Psychological assessment; Psychological variables; Patients selection; Treatment; Psychological preparation.

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