Despite the availability of adequate analgesics, relief from both acute and chronic pain often remains far from optimal. Physician reluctance to prescribe adequate doses of analgesics, although related to many factors, is primarily due to a fear of initiating or perpetuating narcotic dependency. Pain requiring pharmacologic intervention can usually be adequately controlled with the use of narcotic and nonnarcotic analgesics, either alone or in combination with other drugs. In management of the person in chronic pain, the recognition of the multiple factors affecting this pain is essential. Most important is the development of a healthy, nonconfrontational physician/patient relationship to allow formulation of a realistic approach to pain control agreed upon by both physician and patient.