Abstract

Changing concepts of pain mechanisms deemphasize the somatic aspects of chronic pain and enhance the concept that chronic pain is primarily a psychological disorder. As such, interruption of straight-through pain pathways through nerve blocking may not always be the treatment of choice. Evidence is given encouraging anesthesiologists to modify their thinking on the value of nerve blocks in the treatment of chronic pain and direct their efforts to the management of acute, postoperative, and cancer pain problems.