Pain Awareness Month is good time to reach public
Teach chronic pain sufferers to speak up effectively
The first step for many people living with chronic pain is to speak up and seek help, says Micke A. Brown, BSN, RN, director of communications for the American Pain Foundation in Baltimore and past president of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing in Lenexa, KS.
"We sometimes call it a hidden epidemic," she says.
That's because people living with pain that alters their ability to find joy in life or contribute to society at the level they would like remain silent for fear people will think they are not tough enough or they haven't learned how to cope. Yet persistent pain is considered a disease state, she says.
People should report their pain to their health care provider. The American Pain Foundation has many tools on its web site (www.painfoundation.org) that help people articulate the level of their pain and describe what it is like to their physician. For example, there are daily pain charts, pain scales, and sheets to compile questions for health care providers.
It's important for people living with pain to talk about their options with their health care provider. While a variety of medications are appropriate for different pain conditions, other treatment modalities also help with pain, says Brown.
In the field of pain treatment, ways to address pain include medications, rehabilitative techniques, psychosocial support, complementary alternative medicine, injections, infusions, or implantable therapy that might be appropriate depending on the pain disorder. It's important for a person with chronic pain to work with a health care professional to figure out the best treatment plan, Brown says.
"What would work for me may not necessarily work for you even though we may have very similar pain disorders," says Brown.
Referrals are often required to a physical therapist or a pain specialist.
While eradication of pain is the hope of every person suffering from it, often reduced pain is the best result that can be achieved from a treatment plan. One important element of managing pain is determining what might trigger more severe pain, explains Brown. For example, driving long distances may cause pain to flare up; therefore, it would be important to stop along the way to walk around, or a person may need to take breaks at large family functions to rest. If getting into a hot bathtub to relax muscles helps rejuvenate a person, then he or she must take time to do so.
"People must learn about themselves - what they can tolerate and what they can't. They must learn how to work with family, friends, and employers in order to continue to be a productive person," says Brown.
People need to learn to take an active role in their pain management. A well-informed consumer has a better chance of getting more successful care, adds Brown.
SOURCE
For more information about pain management resources and ideas for educating the public during National Pain Awareness Week, contact:
Micke A. Brown, BSN, RN, Director of Communications, American Pain Foundation, 201 North Charles St., Suite 710, Baltimore, MD 21201-4111. Telephone: (888) 615-7246. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.painfoundation.org.
The first step for many people living with chronic pain is to speak up and seek help, says Micke A. Brown, BSN, RN, director of communications for the American Pain Foundation in Baltimore and past president of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing in Lenexa, KS.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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