Recent advances in our understanding of pain: how should they affect management?

Pain management continues to challenge the clinical veterinarian. It is important to appreciate that pain is not a monolithic syndrome; many variables associated with pain origin, transmission, perception, and response must be understood in order to provide the best pain relief in a clinical patient. Rational pain management requires an understanding of underlying mechanisms involved in pain and an appreciation of how analgesic agents act to disrupt them. The goal of this presentation is to acquaint you with the fundamentals associated with pain physiology and how clinical pain management may modify these mechanisms to benefit the patient.