Dealing with Chronic Pain: Tips to Teach Undergraduate Health Sciences Students

Abstract

Chronic pain is a significant and costly problem all over the world that negatively impacts the quality of life of sufferers. There are clear discrepancies between the prevalence of chronic pain in society and the low priority assigned to educating future physicians about the complexities of pain. This condition also occurs in other undergraduate health science students, although research in this area has not been studied as much as in medical schools. Based on the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Pain Curriculum Outline, a systematic search of the available literature, and the authors’ own experiences, we highlight some relevant tips to educate health science trainees in the management of patients with chronic pain. These tips highlight current international recommendations for a comprehensive approach to this prevalent problem in society, which should be learnt during the university training of health professionals.