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Pain is now considered the "fifth vital sign" for all patients. In other words pain is as important as your temprature, blood pressure, and the other standard parameters routinely checked in a medical office or hospital. However, many clinicans still lack pain manamgent skills, knowlegde, and savvy. This article will help... more »
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Gastric, or stomach, cancer struck 21,500 Americans in 2008 while claiming the lives of 10,800 more, according to the National Cancer Institute. It occurs twice as often in men and is more common in those older than 55. As with any cancer, early treatment is the key for survival. more »
Pancreatic cancer is a form of cancer that is difficult to diagnose early. The symptoms of this disease are usually not readily apparent until the cancer is advanced. As a result, pancreatic cancer killed 34,290 Americans in 2008, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A number of treatment options are available for... more »
There are two types of arthritis--rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation is present along with the thickening of the synovial membrane (joint lining). This causes the whole joint to look swollen. The swelling is in the joint capsule. The joint lining also enters the bone, causing bone damage..... more »
Pain, whether chronic or temporary, is a sign that something is amiss with your body.The best...
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Pain can make life miserable. Modern medicine has made it so no person has to remain untreated for pain. Pain management doctors specialize in the... more »
Whether you're recovering from surgery, suffer from migraines or want to dull that nagging ache in your lower back, meditation, or deeply focused... more »
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If you suffer from debilitating pain, know that your condition may be treated using a wide variety of approaches. Pain management practitioners... more »
Pain management (also called pain medicine) is that branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to relieving pain, and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurse practitioners. Acute pain usually resolves with the efforts of one practitioner; however, the management of chronic pain frequently requires the coordinated efforts of the treatment team.
Types of pain
Acute pain, such pain resulting from trauma, often has a reversible cause and may require only transient measures and correction of the underlying problem. In contrast, chronic pain often results from conditions that are difficult to diagnose and treat, and that may take a long time to reverse. Some examples include cancer, neuropathy, and referred pain. Often, pain pathways (nociceptors) are set up that continue to transmit the sensation of pain even though the underlying condition or injury that originally caused pain has been healed. In such situations, the pain itself is frequently managed separately from the underlying condition of which it is a symptom, or the goal of treatment is to manage the pain with no treatment of any underlying condition (e.g. if the underlying condition has resolved or if no identifiable source of the pain can be found).
Methods
Pain management generally benefits from a multidisciplinary approach that includes pharmacologic measures (analgesics such as narcotics or NSAIDs and pain modifiers such as tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsants), non-pharmacologic measures (such as interventional procedures, physical therapy and physical exercise, application of ice and/or heat), and psychological measures (such as biofeedback and cognitive therapy). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a pain ladder for managing analgesia which was first described for usage in cancer pain, but read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain+management
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