For starters, health-care providers and individuals should view chronic pain more as a “syndrome” than a symptom – one that may not be “curable.” For patients who have not responded to conventional treatment, restoring function should replace eradicating pain as the primary objective.
怎样改善慢性疼痛的管理和治疗？首先，医疗提供者和个人应该将慢性疼痛视为“综合症状”（syndrome）而非征兆（symptom）——是不可“治愈”的。对于常规疗法不起作用的病人，功能还原应该成为比减轻疼痛更重要的目标。