title: Evaluating Patients with Chronic Pain and their Families: How you can recognize maladaptive patterns.
abstract: Inclusion of family members in the assessment of patients with chronic pain can improve outcomes. Family functioning can be assessed in four basic areas: boundaries, power, communication, and intimacy. Early recognition of maladaptive patterns in the family allows the family physician to consider a variety of interventions ranging from educating the spouse to referring the family for therapy or multidisciplinary pain management.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tait
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Richardson