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Treatment And Symptoms of Chronic Pain
Pain is the most common of all symptoms and often requires treatment before its specific cause is known. Pain is both an emotional and a physical experience and is difficult to compare from one person to another. One patient may have a high pain threshold and complain only after the disease process has progressed beyond its early stage, while another with a low pain threshold may complain about pain that would be ignored or tolerated by most people. Pain from any cause can be increased by anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, and frustration or anger.
Acute pain serves a useful function as a protective mechanism that leads to the removal of the source of the pain, whether it be localized injury or infection. Chronic pain serves a less useful function and is often more difficult to treat. Although acute pain requires immediate attention, its cause is usually easily found, whereas chronic pain complaints may be more vague and difficult to isolate.
The ideal method for treating pain is to eliminate the cause, such as to surgically remove an inflamed structure, to apply hot compresses to a muscle spasm, or to set a fractured bone in a cast. Alternatives to drug therapy, such as physical therapy, should be relied on whenever possible. The analgesic drugs most often used to alleviate mild and moderate pain are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or indomethacin. If these are ineffective, a weak opiate such as codeine, hydrocodone, or oxycodone would be the next choice. Severe pain not controlled by these agents requires a strong opiate such as morphine or meperidine. Because opiates are addictive, their use is controlled by the Controlled Substances Act, and individuals prescribing or dispensing these drugs must register annually with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Each drug is assigned to one of five groups, from schedule I, which includes drugs that have the highest potential for abuse, to schedule V, which includes drugs with a limited dependence-causing potential.
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