Overview of Pain Management

by | May 29, 2019 |

Pain is an unpleasant sensual signal arises in the brain due to tissue damage. Nowadays, pain is a very common problem which hampers the work, sleep, activities and also spoils the quality of time with family and friends. Therefore, pain management is necessary to provide relief and improve quality of life. However, pain can only be managed once it is known which type of pain the person has.

In most cases, the intensity of pain is less severe or acute; however, it can be severe in intensity or chronic. Acute pain includes any pain that lives for a short time and usually associated with common illnesses such as cuts, stretching of muscle ligament or trauma from major surgery and severe accident. Chronic pain includes any pain that persists for a long time.

Pain Management with Medication

For acute pain management, medicines are recommended that do not require a prescription from a doctor and can be purchased directly from medical stores. However, for acute pain management after accident or surgery, stronger medicines with prescription are required.

For chronic pain management, healthcare providers recommend various strategies for chronic pain management, such as anti-inflammatory medicines.

People can choose pain management medicines based on the exact location of the pain, its intensity, duration, and type. For doing so, a person needs to discuss everything with the doctor so that a doctor can give an effective and safe pain-relief medicine. Some common pain-relief medications available in the market are:

  • Paracetamol
  • Aspirin
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Opioids
  • Local anesthetics
  • Antidepressants
  • Anti-epileptic medicines

If taken without effective knowledge, any pain management medicine can cause side effects like skin rash, liver damage, stomach ulcer, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, headache, heartburn, and dizziness. Therefore, before taking medicine for pain management, you should consult a doctor to ensure if it is safe for you.

Pain Management without Medication

Sometimes, people do not tolerate the side effects of pain management medications, and at times, they don’t even look for medicines if they suffer from minor pain, then, a question arises in mind, how will the pain be released without medication? For this, various non-medicinal treatments are available, which are discussed below:

  • Heat or cold packs: Heat packs are useful to reduce the chronic injuries of muscles or joints. Ice packs can reduce the swelling if they are used just after the injury.
  • Physical therapies: Walking, strengthening, stretching, or aerobic exercises help to reduce the pain related to the lower back, joints, increased weight, etc.
  • Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): In this technique, people change their negative thoughts towards their pain, which automatically alter physical response in the brain and body starts producing pain-relief itself. It is an essential strategy for learning more about self-management of chronic pain.
  • Acupuncture: In this method, thin needles are inserted into the specific point of the skin. The body releases hormones, which are the natural pain-relieving compounds to restore the balance and encourage the body to heal against injuries.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy: In this method, electrical current is passed by electrodes through the skin and promote the body’s response against the pain.

In this way, knowing the type of pain (acute or chronic) is important for pain management. Accordingly, right pain-relief medicine can effectively and safely reduce the pain; otherwise, it can worsen the condition. Therefore, before taking pain medication, always consult a healthcare professional for safety purposes. Non-medicinal methods can also be adopted by people who want to stay away from the side effects of pain medication.