Nurses at all stages of their careers have a pivotal role in the care of patients in pain. This book is an essential guide to the understanding and management of pain. It provides clear and accessible information on this important topic.There is a consideration of how patient responses to pain and ability to cope are influenced by a variety of factors. The book focuses on the causes and effects of pain including injury, surgery, infection and disease and considers situations which nurses and health care professionals may encounter in the clinical setting. Treatments including pharmacological, surgical, non-invasive, and complementary techniques are outlined and placed within the framework of overall patient needs to combat pain.