Reviewer: Joshua B Rock, MD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
Description: This fourth edition provides focused coverage of the key topics required in pain management with a bias toward the treatment of chronic pain. It is an update from the third edition, published in 2005, with inclusion of full color images and ebook access. Additionally, a new section on interventional management as well as updates to opioid management have been included. The handbook manages to be comprehensive without being excessively detailed. It highlights the important information related to the physiology, pathology, pharmacology, diagnosis, and treatment of both acute and chronic pain.
Purpose: The purpose of the book is to provide focused coverage of the key topics required in pain management with a bias toward the treatment of chronic pain. The objectives are worthy and the book is needed as an update from the previous edition. While the book itself is relatively small and portable, it does contain a significant amount of text in relatively small print. It is here that the ebook access, which is included, helps to alleviate the issue of strained eyes. The ebook is easy to read, navigate, and annotate. It includes helpful features such as highlighting, flashcard creation, notetaking, as well as some fun but less useful features such as emoji stamping. The book and website do meet the objectives laid forth. The book is not a substitute for more guided texts related to interventional procedures; however, it accomplishes its goal of being comprehensive and thorough.
Audience: The intended audience is not explicitly stated by the authors. The book is written for those interested in pain management from a medical student to practitioner level. The book would likely be most beneficial to resident physicians who manage or seek to manage painful conditions. There are over 50 contributors ranging from division heads to resident physicians; MDs, DOs, and PHDs; and academic medicine and private practice physicians. The authors represent some of the most knowledgeable people in the field from some of the most prestigious institutions.
Features: The range of topics covered in this book is expansive. From adults to children, from chronic to acute pain, and from diagnosis to treatment, this handbook discusses a significant number of topics. Given the breadth of material included, it is not surprising that the level of detail is not the same as you might get in a more focused, standard textbook. This is not to the detriment of the book, however, as it seeks to paint broad strokes and does so effectively. While the book does include new chapters related to and focused more on interventional treatment, it would not likely serve as an interventional pain physician's primary reference. There are appendixes, a table of contents, and an index included in the book; however, the easily navigable ebook is where these shine. The addition of color images is nice but the photographs, depicting for example chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), should also be in color to achieve the desired effect.
Assessment: There are certainly books that include more detail, such as Academic Pain Medicine: A Practical Guide to Rotations, Fellowship, and Beyond, Khelemsky et al. (Springer, 2019), and there are books that are more directed toward the interventionist in training such as the Atlas of Interventional Pain Management, 5th edition, Waldman (Elsevier, 2021); however, this book serves a resident/fellow well. It can be used as a quick reference and it has a wealth of information on a wide breadth of pain related topics as well as an excellent ebook companion. The book is useful in expanding readers' knowledge on the pathophysiology of pain as well as the options for pain management. While it is likely most useful for young doctors in fields that can lead them to a career in pain medicine, such as anesthesiology, it can hold a valuable place on the bookshelf of most any practicing physician.
