Book Review: 'Functional Pain Syndromes'

Functional Pain Syndromes edited by Emeran E. Mayer and M. Catherine Bushnell.

You can buy it online from IASP. This book has it all! I think it is a “must read” for everybody- medical and psychosocial health care providers dealing with complex pain patients. The book provides very valuable information about the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for chronic unspecific Low Back Pain, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Painful Bladder Syndrome, Vulvodynia, non-cardiac Chest Pain, TMJ disorders, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It also has chapters addressing the links between psychiatric syndromes and pain e.g. anxiety /depression and pain or somatization disorders. There is a chapter “Environment-Gene Interactions and Chronic Pain”, or “Early Life Trauma and Pain”. Overall I find the book easy to read-you can pick a certain chapter and read some other another day.

Reviewer: Brigitte Gertoberens