ACOEM Chronic Pain Guidelines Now Available Online

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Aug. 19 The American College ofOccupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) today published new medicaltreatment guidelines for providing care to workers with chronic pain. The newguidelines, which represent the latest chapter in ACOEM's comprehensivepublication Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, are available onlinenow; in September a print version will be available.

More than 200 recommendations for chronic pain are outlined in the newevidence-based guidelines, which were developed by a multi-disciplinary panelof national experts and were reviewed by representatives of leading medicaland health organizations. The recommendations focus on diagnostic and othertesting and treatments for several chronic pain conditions, including: complexregional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuropathic pain, trigger points/myofascialpain, chronic persistent pain, fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain.

An extensive volume of literature was utilized to develop therecommendations, which feature more than 1,500 references, including 546randomized controlled trials.

"These guidelines were developed using ACOEM's published methodology,which incorporates the highest scientific standards for reviewingevidence-based literature, ensuring the most rigorous, reproducible, andtransparent occupational health guidelines available," said Editor-in-ChiefKurt T. Hegmann, MD, MPH. "Literally thousands of hours of review of theavailable scientific literature went into this process, yielding what weconsider state-of-the-art medical guidelines."

Other highlights of the new chronic pain guidelines include:

-- An in-depth review of over 20 medications (prescription,over-the-counter, complementary and alternative) used to treat patients withchronic pain, including an extensive appendix on guidance for the use ofopioids.

-- Detailed recommendations regarding the use of appliances (e.g.,magnets), skilled allied-health provided medical therapies (e.g., acupuncture,manipulation/mobilization, myofascial release), electrical therapies (e.g.,PENS, TENS).

-- Uses and limitations of injection therapies (e.g., diagnostic andtherapeutic facet joint injections, trigger/tender point injections, botulinuminjections, intrathecal drugs).

-- A discussion of spinal cord stimulation for CRPS and other painfulconditions.

-- A detailed review of psychological services (e.g., evaluation andbehavior therapy) and rehabilitation for delayed recovery, includingbiofeedback, work conditioning/work hardening/early intervention programs, andinterdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs.

-- A focus on functional restoration, including an active exerciseprogram and behavioral program.

In addition to being available electronically, the new chronic painguidelines will also be available in a new print edition of the OccupationalMedicine Practice Guidelines 2nd Edition, 2008 Revision, which is currently inproduction. Orders are being accepted now for delivery in September of thiscomprehensive volume, which includes guidelines on a variety ofmusculoskeletal conditions. Individual chapters from the print publication arealso available at ACOEM's website.

ACOEM's online treatment guidelines are exclusively distributed by ReedGroup. For more information, or to order UMK Professional or the ACOEMGuidelines Electronic version, visit http://www.reedgroup.com or call aproduct consultant at 866.889.4449.

About Reed Group:

Dr. Presley Reed founded Reed Group in 1981 to address workplaceproductivity and employee absenteeism issues in the corporate environment.Reed Group maintains four key lines of business: Guidelines, Service, DataAnalytics, and Education. In addition to providing integrated clinical casemanagement service for non-occupational and occupational leaves, FamilyMedical Leave Act (FMLA) a