Pain Management

Pain Management: Types and Treatment

Pain is the biggest reason millions of people seek medical care in the United States. Although pain is one of the most common symptoms you need medical care for, it is also one of the most misunderstood and ineffectively treated. Pain management strategies include pain medicines, physical therapies, and complementary therapies such as acupuncture and massage.

Your emotional wellbeing can impact the experience of pain. It is important to understand the cause and effective ways to cope with your pain. This will help improve your quality of life. Key pain management strategies include:

• Pain medicines

• Physical therapies - Heat or cold packs, massage, hydrotherapy, and exercise.

• Psychological therapies - Cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and meditation.

• Mind and body techniques – Acupuncture.










Various types of Pain

Pain can have many sources. Pain is majorly divided into nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. The treatment of pain depends largely upon what type of pain it is, such as:

• Nociceptive pain: This includes a cut or a broken bone such as tissue damage or injury initiates signals that are transferred through peripheral nerves to the brain via the spinal cord. Pain signals are modulated throughout the pathways indicating that something is hurting.

  • Radicular pain: This stems from irritation of the nerve roots, like from a disc herniation. The pain would radiate down the leg or arm in the distribution of the nerve that exits from the nerve root at the spinal cord. This also includes radiculopathy, which is weakness, numbness, tingling, or loss of reflexes in the distribution of the nerve.

  • Somatic pain: This type of pain is limited to the back or thighs. The reason for most back pain is not identified and is classified as idiopathic. The back pain can be the result of the issue with three structures - the facet joints, the discs, and the sacroiliac joint.

• Neuropathic pain: This would include pain caused by damage or disease that affects the nervous system such as shingles and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Sometimes there might be no obvious source of pain, and it can occur spontaneously. Neuropathic pain usually occurs after nerves are cut or after a stroke. This includes:

  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) or reflex sympathetic dystrophy;

  • Sympathetically maintained pain;

  • Fibromyalgia;

  • Interstitial cystitis; and

  • Irritable bowel syndrome.










What is pain-relief medicine?

Pain-relief medicines help in managing short (acute) or long-term (chronic) pain. The pain relievers target the cause of the pain as well as reduce the feeling of pain. Some pain-relievers can be purchased 'over-the-counter' (OTC), and don’t need a prescription from your doctor to access them.

It is important to see a doctor when your pain persists, is not being adequately controlled or you are not sure how to cope with your pain. Doctors may recommend different strategies for managing long-term (chronic) pain, including prescription medicines, as well as strategies that don’t involve medicine.

What are the types of prescription pain relievers?

Pain medications are broadly classified as:

• Prescription: This is arsenal against pain is extensive. This includes NSAIDs that are more powerful than other over-the-counter pain relievers as well as opioid analgesics. Various unconventional analgesics were not originally developed as pain-relievers, but they have pain-relieving properties in certain conditions.