Teaching Medical Students an Integrative Approach to Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system are some of the most important, and frustrating, chronic problems encountered in a clinical practice. One in two adults reported a chronic musculoskeletal condition, according to a recent national survey [1], twice the rate of reported cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Yet despite the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, physicians often feel less confident in their treatment planning for pain patients than they do for others in their practice. Conventional medical approaches to chronic musculoskeletal pain, such as non steroidal anti inflammatory medications and muscle relaxants may be in effective for some patients. In addition, these patients consume more than their share of scarce healthcare resources. Patients with clinically diagnosed fibromyalgia were found to incorrect twice as many direct healthcare costs as matched controls [2].