About this topic
Pain can be an unpleasant feeling that happens in any part of the body. It can be mild or very bad. Pain may come and go or you may feel it all of the time. It may be dull, sharp, or throbbing. When you are in pain, you may not feel hungry. Pain can cause upset stomach and throwing up. You may also feel nervous. ‚
Pain is most often a warning that something is wrong. You may have had surgery or an injury. Pain may be from health problems such as migraine or cancer. Acute pain lasts for only a short time and then goes away. Chronic pain lasts for a long time and most often does not go away completely. Chronic pain may disrupt your daily activities. How a doctor treats chronic pain depends on many things. Some of them are the kind of pain, how bad it is, and what is causing the pain. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Pay attention to your levels of pain.
- It is a good idea to keep a diary and write about your pain. This might help to see if there is a pattern to your pain. Make notes about:
- Where your pain is
- When you have the pain
- How your pain feels. Is it dull, sharp, burning, stabbing, or cramping?
- What causes your pain
- What makes your pain better or worse
- Ice or heat may be used to ease pain.
- Ice may help with swelling that may happen with some pain. Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Heat may be used later but not right away after a new injury. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
- Try to stay calm. Anxiety and stress may make your pain worse.
- Try using massage, relaxation, breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi, and music therapy.
- You may consider other ways to help with pain. Some of them are acupuncture, biofeedback, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, counseling, or meditation. Ask your doctor if these may help manage your pain.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If the pain is worse or comes more often, see your doctor.
- You may also need to see a:
- Physical therapist to teach you exercises to help you stretch
- Occupational therapist to help you find ways to make you more comfortable doing your regular daily activities
- Psychological therapist to help deal with the stress of chronic pain
- Doctor who specializes in managing ongoing pain
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Help treat other problems that may go along with chronic pain, such as low mood or being worried
Take your drugs as ordered by your doctor. Some of these drugs can be habit forming and may cause side effects. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activities may be limited due to the pain that you have. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
Changes in food or diet may depend on what kind of pain you have. Talk with your doctor about what kind of food is good for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Not able to function well
- Irritation, sadness, anxiety, and low mood
- Sexual dysfunction
- Loss of appetite
- Need more drugs for pain
- Side effects from drugs for pain, such as constipation, upset stomach, and dizziness
- Addiction to certain drugs for pain
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
The best thing you can do is talk to your doctor about any pain you have. Your doctor can help you make a plan to lower your pain. ‚
Some causes of pain get better by staying active and working out. Your doctor may send you to a physical therapist to help you work on strength exercises and stretching. ‚
Stop smoking if you are a smoker. Studies show that smokers tend to have more pain than people who do not smoke. ‚
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, pain or blood with passing urine.
- Very bad upset stomach, throwing up, or belly pain; not able to eat or drink anything
- Weight loss without trying to lose weight
- Dizziness or seeing things that are not really there
- Chest pain or trouble breathing
- Back or side pain that lasts and you dont know why. (You have not done any hard exercises or other activity that may have pulled a muscle.)
- Not able to move or do daily actions
- Very bad pain that is not helped by your drugs
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my pain.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have very bad back, side, chest, or belly pain, or the pain is not helped by my drugs.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Family Physicians ‚
http://www.familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/chronic-pain.printerview.all.html ‚
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ‚
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚