Stress-related, posttraumatic chronic pain syndrome: Criteria for diagnosis, and preliminary report on prevalence

Clear criteria are presented for the diagnosis of a specific variety of the chronic pain syndrome which has an etiologic basis in posttraumatic stress. A survey of patients seen in the pain clinic setting suggests this etiology can be identified in a substantial percentage of patients with chronic pain. The importance of differential diagnosis in the identification of different forms of chronic pain is noted, and the contribution of the present diagnosis to the planning for efficacious therapeutic intervention is discussed.