Pain is something we have all experienced at one time or another. A sudden, new pain may be a warning of something occurring within the body which needs your doctor’s attention. Or, you may be one of those individuals who has a chronic illness and experiences pain regularly. If you are admitted as a surgical patient, your pain may be an entirely new experience.
Whatever the cause, your healthcare team is committed to working with you to manage the discomfort.
No two people respond to the same painful stimulus in the same way, and not all pain is managed the same. Thus, pain control is a very individualized process, based on the information YOU tell us. By going through the simple worksheet in this brochure, you can help our St. Mary’s Hospital healthcare team help you. Please fill in your responses to share with us.
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Rate your pain: Describe your pain level, by assigning a number to the degree of pain you are experiencing. For example, zero signifies no pain. A ten signifies severe, unbearable pain. You can also match the faces below to the way you feel.
From 0 to 10, my pain is a Number _____. |
You can also circle a number or a face on the chart to describe your pain.
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Describe the type of pain you have. Check one or more. |
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____ Sharp pain |
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____ Dull pain |
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____ Constant pain |
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____ Pain at certain times of day or night |
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____ morning ____ afternoon ____ night |
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____ Pain triggered by: |
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____ exercise ____ movement |
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Other: ________________________________________________________ |
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Tell us where the pain is located. Does it remain in one place, or does it travel, or radiate to other areas of your body? |
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____________________________________________________________________ |
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____________________________________________________________________ |
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Tell us what measures have helped you control pain in the past.
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____ Medication |
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____ Physical therapy |
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Other pain relief technique: |
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____________________________________________________________________ |
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____________________________________________________________________ |
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Set goals for pain control. Select one or more of the goals below. |
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____ To learn what causes my pain. |
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____ To control my pain to the level that I can perform my daily activities. |
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____ To lessen my pain to a score of ______. (0-10) |
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____ To learn safe medication use to control my pain. |
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____ To learn non-medicine methods to control my pain. |
Based on the information gathered, you and your health care team will develop an individualized plan of care to minimize your pain to an acceptable level.
Following are some of the medications prescribed for pain relief.
w Narcotic analgesics- Narcotic analgesics are often used to treat acute moderate to severe pain or cancer pain. Seldom prescribed for chronic pain.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs- Aspirin like drugs are the most commonly used medications of this type. They not only reduce swelling and irritation but also can relieve mild to moderate pain.
- Anti-seizure medicines- These medicines may help relieve certain types of pain by reducing abnormal electrical discharges in damaged nerves. There may be other medications your physician can prescribe more specific to the type of pain you are experiencing.
- Anti-depressants- Originally used only to treat depression, studies have shown that these medications can alleviate chronic pain in certain situations. Furthermore, they may have the added benefit of helping the patient to sleep at night.
Other pain relief can be attained through physical therapy such as exercises, whirlpool, ultrasound, massage, manual therapy, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), and other electrical stimulation.
Members of your healthcare team may demonstrate and provide education to you about repositioning, deep breathing exercises and other forms of relaxation therapy including music therapy. Visualization and concentration exercises are used to relieve pain, reduce muscle spasms and diminish stress.
At St. Mary’s Hospital, we have specially trained staff in the area of pain management. Our clinical team consists of board certified anesthesiologists who provide expertise and work together to tailor a plan for the most effective treatment of a particular pain problem. Pain specialists are not only experts at treating pain, but also at helping to diagnose the source of pain.
Due to the rapid advances of modern medicine, there are now many varied treatments available for pain. Treatment may include a single approach, or a combination of medication, therapies, and procedures. Local anesthetics, with or without cortisone-like medicines, can be injected around nerves or into joints. These may act to reduce swelling, irritation, muscle spasms or abnormal nerve transmissions that can cause pain.
St. Mary’s Hospital has an outpatient Pain Clinic. Patients are referred by their physicians for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to treat a variety of painful disorders. Please consult your physician for more information.
While you are a patient at St. Mary’s Hospital, please inform your nurse or doctor immediately if you begin to experience pain. That way, the pain can be treated before it becomes severe. If you need help rating or assessing your pain, don’t hesitate to call your nurse.
As you leave St. Mary’s Hospital, your plan of care continues. Please speak to your physician about continuing your pain management strategy once you leave the hospital.
Don’t forget to “Speak Up” if you have any questions or concerns about your care. Our staff is here to listen and respond to your needs. |
