Being believed about reported pain

What is it about?

Patients often report the difficulty of being believed when they complain of pain. Clearly there is no visible 'evidence' to 'prove' the existence of pain. Diagnosis, treatment of and prognosis for any underlying condition depends on the identification of the 'cause' of pain. But the search doesn't even begin if the patient is not believed.

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Why is it important?

This survey of the literature demonstrates some common elements in pain reporting. It addresses the problem of gaining objective 'proof' of a necessarily subjective condition. The literature begins to indicate how vital to a patient's sense of well-being it is if their pain report is believed.