Pain and its Management
Patient Education
Pain is a multidimensional problem ranging from discomfort to agony and affecting physical, emotional, and cognitive function as well as interpersonal relationships and social roles.
In this section you will learn more about pain,its causes, evaluation and treatment:
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About pain and its treatment
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About chronic pain and its treatment
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Evaluation of pain
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Treatment for pain
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Resources for optimal choice
Content will be in various forms including articles, infographs, interviews, links to other websites, video and other media forms.
About pain and its treatment
It is inevitable that everyone will experience some sort of pain in their life. Understanding Pain was developed to provide individuals, family members, and clinicians with general strategies for managing acute and chronic pain. Based on an Australian concept for pain education, Understanding Pain is a product of the Department of Defense (DoD) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Joint Pain Education Project (JPEP).
About chronic pain and its treatment
The epidemic of prescription medication overdoses and advances in the medical evidence related to what constitutes safe and effective pain management have resulted in new guidelines and policies that impact the patient pain care experience. The New Pain Paradigm provides an overview of the many changes in pain management that patients are likely to notice.
The New Pain Paradigm
The epidemic of prescription medication overdoses and advances in the medical evidence related to what constitutes safe and effective pain management have resulted in new guidelines and policies that impact the patient pain care experience. The New Pain Paradigm provides an overview of the many changes in pain management that patients are likely to notice.
Informed Consent for Opioid Terapy
Informed consent forms are a commonly used prior to patients undergoing medical procedures. Both the CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines and the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain direct providers to ensure patients have an adequate understanding of the benefits, risks, side effects, and alternatives to long term opioid therapy for chronic pain treatment. This task can be accomplished though the use of an informed consent form.
Medication Take Back/Safe Disposal
The United States is in the midst of a national epidemic of prescription medication overuse, abuse, and diversion. It is essential for providers and patients to understand the risks of improperly using, storing, or disposing of prescription medications; particularly prescription pain medications. This video provides a short "Public Service Announcement" style overview of this issue.
Chronification of Pain
The progression of pain from acute to chronic is complex and very often, avoidable. This video provides a bio-psychosocial overview of the “Chronification of Pain” and the opportunities for clinicians to intervene.