Adaptive management of chronic pain depends to a large degree on how patients choose
to cope with pain and its impact. Consequently, patient motivation is an important factor in determining
how well patients learn to manage pain. However, the role of patient motivation in altering
coping behavior and maintaining those changes is seldom discussed, and theoretically based research
on motivation for pain treatment is lacking. This article reviews theories that have a direct application
to understanding motivational issues in pain coping and presents a preliminary motivational model
of pain self-management. The implications of this model for enhancing engagement in and adherence
to chronic pain treatment programs are then discussed. The article ends with a call for research to
better understand motivation as it applies to chronic pain self-management. In particular, there is a
need to determine whether (and which) motivation enhancement interventions increase active
participation in self-management treatment programs for chronic pain.