Unfortunately, his story is not unusual.
Chronic pain is an extremely complex problem.
In the past, many physicians were not adequately instructed in the diagnosis of chronic pain, so pain traditionally has not always been managed successfully. OHSU is fortunate to have a new curriculum for third-year medical students that allows us to offer this course when pain management is a concern to so many of us. National surveys of medical school graduates, OHSU included, show that students welcome an additional emphasis on pain management. The mandatory, all-day course takes a look at the clinical side of diagnosing pain. The first lesson of the day was about the value of taking a patient's history.