Neuropathic pain is increasingly recognized as a chronic disabling condition. It is frequently thought of as harder to treat than other pain types, and it often results in a poorer quality of life. Around 30% of adults in the UK alone have some type of chronic pain and some estimates suggest that one in five of these will have symptoms of neuropathic pain. This second edition of the popular pocketbook has been fully updated to include recent developments in the diagnosis and management of neuropathic pain. It includes new chapters on the clinical assessment of neuropathic pain and the use of screening tools in its diagnosis. This edition also includes a new chapter focusing on neuropathic lower back pain, a newly emerging clinical entity which is thought to be the most prevalent type of neuropathic pain in developed countries. The second edition of the popular pocketbook, fully updated to include all the recent developments in the diagnosis and management of neuropathic pain. Michael Bennett is Professor of Palliative Medicine at the International Observatory on End of Life Care School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.