Pain Evaluation and Treatment

The function of this protocol is to allow the clinic pain research fellows to gain additional knowledge in the management of acute and chronic pain. Patients enrolled in this protocol will be evaluated and treated according to available procedures and therapeutic modalities used in clinical practice. The evaluation and treatment of these patients may lead to ideas for future protocols. By allowing for the care of persons with a spectrum of pain syndromes, this protocol will be valuable for the training of the pain fellow as well. The pain group at the NIDCR is free to choose those diseases that interest them. Patients in this patient evaluation and treatment protocol will be evaluated for potential eligibility in any of the new clinical studies of the Pain and Neurosensory Mechanisms branch of the NIDCR as they are developed. If eligible, patients may be asked to participate in the new protocol. However they will not be required to enter any new protocol and their decision to participate will be entirely voluntary.