The patient-provider relationship in chronic pain

The relationship between patient and provider has long been the subject of study within the psychotherapy literature, with the available data suggesting a modest, but reliable, association between the strength of this relationship and treatment outcome. Conversely, there has been little work focused on the patient-provider relationship in chronic pain settings despite the complexities and difficulties that are often involved in this area. This review provides a brief, broad overview of the literature on the patient-provider relationship and identifies key aspects that are specifically relevant to chronic pain settings. In addition to reviewing the literature in this area, a series of recommendations for future clinical and academic work are offered.