Pain is typically classed as either chronic or acute.
Chronic pain (CP) is very different from acute pain (AP).
AP sufferers know that the discomfort is self-limiting.
Daily pain is 'the norm' for CP sufferers, and this expectation contributes to depression.
Doctors treat AP sufferers differently than they treat CP sufferers.
If the pain is short term, Doctors are more likely to prescribe opioids because the risk of dependency is reduced with a shorter treatment time.
For long term pain, many clinicians are cautious about prescribing opioids, occasionally to the point of doing nothing.
In a recent interview with Paula Moyer for Medscape, Scott M.
Fishman, MD (Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis) stated that in two recent cases, physicians were actually charged with elder abuse for providing inadequate pain management.
Avoiding opioid medications, however, can lead to the over-prescription of other medications that may be toxic, such as NSAIDS or (in some patients) COX-2 inhibitors.
The ultimate goal is to return the individual to as functional a state as is possible.
Besides medical interventions offered by primary care physicians and pain management specialists, many non-medical interventions may contribute to this end.
Some examples of "non-medical" treatments for CP are: *rest *stretching *hot/cold compress applications * biofeedback *hypnosis *weight reduction *exercises specifically designed to strengthen supporting muscles and encourage proper body alignment.
*acupuncture/acupressure No one treatment is effective for all types of pain.
Effective pain management may involve a combination of methods, including opioids (codeine, tramadol, morphine, etcetera), non-opioid drugs like nsaids (ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, aspirin, etc.
), and "helper drugs," aka adjuvants, such as antidepressants (sometimes effective in treating fibromyalgia pain), topical/local anesthetic sprays, muscle relaxants, and others.
Chronic pain (CP) is very different from acute pain (AP).
AP sufferers know that the discomfort is self-limiting.
Daily pain is 'the norm' for CP sufferers, and this expectation contributes to depression.
Doctors treat AP sufferers differently than they treat CP sufferers.
If the pain is short term, Doctors are more likely to prescribe opioids because the risk of dependency is reduced with a shorter treatment time.
For long term pain, many clinicians are cautious about prescribing opioids, occasionally to the point of doing nothing.
In a recent interview with Paula Moyer for Medscape, Scott M.
Fishman, MD (Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis) stated that in two recent cases, physicians were actually charged with elder abuse for providing inadequate pain management.
Avoiding opioid medications, however, can lead to the over-prescription of other medications that may be toxic, such as NSAIDS or (in some patients) COX-2 inhibitors.
The ultimate goal is to return the individual to as functional a state as is possible.
Besides medical interventions offered by primary care physicians and pain management specialists, many non-medical interventions may contribute to this end.
Some examples of "non-medical" treatments for CP are: *rest *stretching *hot/cold compress applications * biofeedback *hypnosis *weight reduction *exercises specifically designed to strengthen supporting muscles and encourage proper body alignment.
*acupuncture/acupressure No one treatment is effective for all types of pain.
Effective pain management may involve a combination of methods, including opioids (codeine, tramadol, morphine, etcetera), non-opioid drugs like nsaids (ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, aspirin, etc.
), and "helper drugs," aka adjuvants, such as antidepressants (sometimes effective in treating fibromyalgia pain), topical/local anesthetic sprays, muscle relaxants, and others.