Much of the discussion about chronic pain patients, failed back surgery, etc... surrounds the idea that we develop a 'chronic pain disorder' that becomes a separate problem. Bertagnoli calls it the 'chronification' of pain.
Articulated in this book, "It is not the duration of pain that characterizes chronic pain, but the inability of the body to restore normal functioning."
More later...
Mark
PS... note that the link I posted above was to the Kindle version. Here is the hardcover:
Amazon.com: The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering (9780865476813): Melanie Thernstrom: Books