Treating chronic pain how do we measure success?

In this article, the practitioner is provided with information on common techniques to determine whether a particular treatment for a chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is successful. Although most clinicians rely on patient reports of relief as the primary evidence for success, we have found that these reports are poorly correlated with changes in pain. Reports of relief may reflect other aspects of therapy, such as the patient's relationship with the health care provider or improved ability to cope. Therefore, in order to know if a treatment is truly efficacious, we suggest that the clinician measure the patient's pain before, during and after treatment. Questionnaires designed to measure pain and relief in the clinic, as well as instructions for their use, are included. These can be used to document progress and for medico-legal purposes.