title: GP pain management: what are the 'Ps' and 'As' of pain management?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pain is one common reason for clinical encounters in primary care. The complex nature of chronic pain syndromes can make assessment and management daunting at times.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article presents an easy scheme to help general practitioners efficiently assess, manage and review/follow up patients with chronic pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mnemonic presented for assessment is the '4Ps' (pain, other pathology/past medical history, performance/function and psychological/psychiatric status). For management, we can also use '4Ps' (physical, psychological, pharmacological and procedural) and for review there are the '6As' (activities, analgesia, adverse effects, aberrance behaviours, affects and adequate documentation).
authors.affiliation: MBBCh, MA GDMM, MClEpid, MPainMed, MHeadacheMed, FRACGP, FFPMANZCA, Director of Persistent Pain Service, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Metro South Health, Woolloongabba, QLD.
authors.forename: Aston
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods