I do think that all chronic pain patients deserve to be told right at the outset that they need to set their expectations sensibly. Too often doctors are full of nonsense and tell patients that they are 'very optimistic' about their outcomes instead of being rather more honest about what a chronic neuropathic pain condition actually means. It would make life for these doctors much easier in the long run too - instead of having eternally desperate patients who keep seeking more and more medication or interventions, they might have more accepting patients.

There is a place for all forms of relevant medication in pain management but setting realistic expectations right from the outset is what patients deserve.