Chronic pain is a very real ailment that should never be ignored or underestimated. It is persistent pain that lasts over a period of weeks, months or even years. It can be devastating and negatively affect the overall quality of one’s life.
It may have an obvious underlying cause or be the direct result of a past injury, but in many cases the cause isn’t known. Types of chronic pain include central pain which is caused by damage to or dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord; and neuropathic pain which is caused by tissue damage. Common causes of central pain include, but are not limited to, brain and spinal cord trauma, stroke and epilepsy. Neuropathic pain is caused by physical injury to nerve fibers resulting in incorrect signals being sent to the brain. (American Chronic Pain Association, 2010) .
There are many ways pain medication is delivered to the body. The method chosen for a patient will reflect the sight, the severity and the cause of the pain. The intrathecal delivery system delivers the medication directly to the spine via a pump that is surgically placed between the skin and muscle of the abdominal area. The intrathecal delivery system is adequate for a sufferer who’s tried most other conservative methods without sufficient results. This method will minimize the side effects of the pain medication and maximize the results. (George Mandybur, Bobbie Ryan, & Scott Basham, 2009) . The least invasive way medication is delivered is orally. There are a great number of oral medications prescribed for pain. Many of these are narcotics and are highly addictive. Some pills are meant to be absorbed in the mouth or under the tongue (sublingually). Pain medications are also administered via injection. These routes include intravenous (directly to bloodstream), subcutaneous (into the fatty tissue), and intramuscular (into muscle). Another method is the transdermal delivery system. This is the use of a patch containing pain medication that sticks directly to the skin where it will be absorbed over a period of 48 to 72 hours. And, finally, pain medication can be administered rectally via a suppository or a needless injection, for patients who cannot swallow pain pills. (ACOR Inc., 2007) .
Pain medication can offer much anticipated relief to a patient with chronic pain. This will improve the quality of life for the individual. Pain medication will give the sufferer a chance to live a normal life and participate in activities they participated in before the pain started. The absence of pain is likely to improve the psychological state of the patient. Pain relief may improve symptoms of depression, anger, anxiety, sadness or even suicidal thoughts. (Stanford School of Medicine, 2010) .
Although pain medication offers a number of beneficial responses, it also has many undesirable effects as well. Over the counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and NSAID’s may cause liver damage. And prescription pain killers often carry the risk of addiction and other serious side effects. One may not realize they are even addicted until they stop taking the medication and immediately feel overwhelming sickness and pain that is worse than it was before they started the medication. (National Library of Medicine, 2010) . Long term use of pain medication will wear down one’s organs. It can lead to liver failure, kidney failure, and heart attack. Pain killers also carry many undesirable side effects that a patient may choose to endure in the pursuit of pain relief.
The side effects of pain medication can be mild to severe; however, most pain medication users will experience them to some degree. These side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, loss of appetite, indigestion problems, skin problems, vision problems, acne, respiratory problems, psychological problems and more. Indigestion problems include nausea, vomiting, constipation, stomach ache, diarrhea, and difficulty urinating. Skin problems include itchiness and sensitivity. Vision problems include blurred vision and spidery lines at the edges of vision. Respiratory problems include difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and hyperventilation. Psychological problems include confusion, hallucinations, agitation and depression. (Pradnya, 2010) .
Chronic pain can be costly. Possible costs of chronic pain include doctor appointment, chiropractor appointments, medications, loss of work, hired help and assistance devices. Pain killers cannot be called into the pharmacy, nor can a patient receive more than a month supply at a time. Thus, in order to receive pain medications, a patient must see the doctor at least once a month. Many pain management doctors ask that you receive other forms of treatment for the pain along with the medication such as massages, chiropractics, acupuncture etc. Then there’s the cost of the prescription. If the patient has insurance they will have to pay their prescription deductable, if not, they will have to pay for each pill. In many cases, chronic pain will cost the person their job, hence their insurance. (Griffin, 2005) .
Chronic Pain is a serious problem that has the potential to ruin someone’s life. If not treated, in many cases, it’s progressive and debilitating. Pain medication can offer relief and a chance for a chronic pain sufferer to live a normal life, but there are many side effects and other dangers associated with pain medication. These options need to be weighed out with a doctor who’s knowledgeable in pain management.
Author: Andrea Antczak, Nursing Student
Author: Andrea Antczak, Nursing Student
References
ACOR Inc. (2007, Jan. 17). Pain medication delivery. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2010, from Cancer-Pain.org: http://www.cancer-pain.org/treatments/medication.html
American Chronic Pain Association. (2010, Oct. 26). Conditions A to Z. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2010, from ACPA.org: http://www.theacpa.org/7/Conditions.aspx
George Mandybur, M., Bobbie Ryan, R., & Scott Basham, N. (2009, April). intrathecal drug pump. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2010, from MayfieldClinic.com: http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE- PUMP.htm
Griffin, R. M. (2005, Jan. 31). The Cost of Pain. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from MedicineNet.com: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50430
National Institue of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2010, July 24). Chronic Pain Information Page. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2010, from NINDS.gov: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/ chronic_pain.htm
National Library of Medicine. (2010, August 9). Pain Medications. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from MedLinePlus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002123.htm
Pradnya, S. (2010). Pain Killer Side Effects. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from Buzzle.com: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pain-killer-side-effects.html
Stanford School of Medicine. (2010). Psychological Therapy. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from Stanford Pain Management Center: http://paincenter.stanford.edu/patient_care/therapy.html
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