Mechanisms of Pain

Pain is a serious health problem. This book presents an intensive review of the anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of the systems that mediate nociceptive processing. The authors cover areas that include anatomy, central and peripheral nerve processing, tissue and nerve injury states, as well as preclinical and clinical models of pain. Mechanisms of Pain also covers important clinical concepts, with specific emphasis on mechanisms of action. Written by world renowned global faculty, this book covers important areas of science required to understand pain medicine. Important topics covered include post–tissue and nerve injury pain states of primary afferents and the spinal cord. The authors also cover mechanisms of action of clinically relevant analgesics (opiates and non-opiates), psychological aspects of pain, pathophysiology of migraines, as well as the genetics of pain. This comprehensive book is to guide undergraduate, graduate, and clinicians in the field of pain medicine on important concepts related to the science and practice of pain.

Krishnan Chakravarthy is an interventional pain and spine surgeon. He is President and Co-Founder at Solaris Research Institute (SRI). Currently, he is also a partner at Innovative Pain Treatment Solutions and Surgery Center in Temecula CA. He is also the founder of the Empower You Chronic Pain Foundation focusing on patient access, advocacy, and knowledge. Dr. Chakravarthy is an affiliate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Nanoengineering at UCSD Health and VA San Diego Healthcare. His research work has been featured in national and international venues and has been published in top journals, including Anesthesiology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and Pain. He has to date lectured in over four hundred regional, national, and international venues, and has more than hundred published works. Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithms placed Dr. Chakravarthy in the top 0.1% of scholars writing about Pain Management over the past 10 years defining him as a "World Expert.” Currently, he is President-Elect of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, and has won numerous national and international awards for his clinical and research work, most notable include the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience Young Innovator Award.

Abd-Elsayed serves as the medical director of UW Health Pain Services, medical director UW Health Pain Clinic, division chief of chronic pain management, and associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He published more than 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts, edited more than 30 books, authored dozens of book chapters and serves on the editorial board of several prestigious journals, including Pain Physician, Pain Practice, Journal of Pain Research, Neuromodulation, Pain and Therapy, advances in therapy and interventional pain medicine. In addition, Dr. Abd-Elsayed serves as the editor-in-chief for Pain Medicine Case Reports, and serves on the board of directors of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) and the council of advisors of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience. He is currently the president and executive director of the Wisconsin Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (WISIPP).