In recent years the amount of research carried out on pain has increased enormously, and the expectations of both patients and doctors regarding its treatment have been raised. Pain, which in the past was taken for granted as an inevitable consequence of surgical procedures or terminal illness can now be alleviated, and it has become more important for all doctors to have a basic understanding of the subject. The early clinical contact and the problem-solving approach of the new curriculum means that medical students will encounter the problem of pain much earlier in their careers than formerly. This book provides a concise and easily understandable account of the nature of pain and its treatment. Unlike most books currently on the market, it is written at a level suitable for medical students and other non-specialists.