Patients living with chronic pain are often frustrated by how little benefit they seem to get from the medications, treatments and procedures offered by their doctors. Their perspective of their treatment has actually been studied* and it shows they "are dissatisfied with their pain management and with the information given to them about their pain, and they want to know more about causes and strategies to manage pain. They express a desire to improve communication with their physicians and learn about reliable alternative sources for obtaining information about their pain and pain management." They "seek alternatives to medication due to the limited efficacy, unwanted side effects, and perceived risk of dependency. They spend time and money searching for additional treatments. Many have learned coping strategies on their own, including various forms of warmth, relaxation, massage, stretching, distraction, and physical activity....The discrepancy between treatment algorithms and patient expectations is significant. Clinicians will benefit from hearing the patient´s voice."

*Source: Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. 2012 Winter; 18(1): 50–56.