Ethics and pain: Why and for whom?

This paper gives a historical overview to the development of this special i ssue of Pain Medicine. A brief synopsis of the articles of this issue is of fered followed by a review of characteristics of Iron, pain patients, and t he system we practice in, that can lead to ethical dilemmas. These issues i nclude the inherent difficulty of "curing" chronic pain, the psychopatholog y of chronic lain patients, end-of-life issues, the patient-physician relat ionship, the use of unproven methods, the: vulnerability of pain patients, the increasing economic pressures of pain clinics, litigation, and the work ers' compensation system.