Pain management to help residents feel strong
Do you know the most common cause of disability?
Pain, according to the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA). If that is surprising, you are in good company as there is often misinformation and misunderstanding when it comes to knowledge about pain.
Here to set the record straight, Daniel B Carr, M.D. is the professor of pain research at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Carr says, “While pain is often a natural response to illness or injury, there are a number of techniques and medications that can help us manage our pain more effectively, which in turn can aid recovery and improve quality of life.”
Laurel Maxson, director of nursing at SKLD Perrysburg says, “In our residents, one of the most common pain complaints is related to patients recovering from a stroke. The residual pain is usually from weakness caused by the trauma.”
Impact of pain on patients
According to the ACPA, “Specifically, more than 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain each year, and another 25 million experience acute pain caused by injury or surgery. Fifty to 70 percent of cancer patients experience significant pain sometime during their illness, the American Cancer Society reports. But, experts say, 90 percent of cancer pain can be alleviated with proper treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.”
The ACPA breaks pain down into three main categories: Chronic pain, acute pain and cancer-related pain.
Chronic pain lasts. Pain is considered chronic when it continues beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or an illness. It may be continuous or come and go.
Acute pain may be mild and last just a moment. It also can be severe and last for weeks or months, as does pain from a burn, pulled muscle or broken bone. Acute pain usually starts suddenly, may be sharp and often triggers visible bodily reactions such as sweating, an elevated blood pressure and more. Acute pain is generally a signal of rapid-onset injury to the body, and it resolves when pain relief is given or the injury is treated.
Cancer pain is not experienced by everyone with cancer, and those who do experience pain may not have it all the time. Ongoing cancer pain can be successfully treated in about 95 percent of people with cancer with the drug and non-drug therapies that are currently available.
Whether a resident suffers from chronic, acute or cancer pain, the physical and emotional toll of pain can be overwhelming. Pain can stand in the way of therapy, eating properly and other means of healing. However, there are a number of techniques and medications to help patients experience relief.
Techniques to manage pain
The first step to treating pain is to have a therapist assess each resident when they arrive. Maxson says, “If they come directly from the hospital, we assess them to see what therapy treatment plan will work best to improve their deficits and help them get better.”
The therapist will recommend which therapy regime will help improve the resident’s pain. “In therapy, we aim to do any strengthening on the weakened side to prevent the pain. The stronger they get, the less pain they should experience,” says Maxson.
Some of the most common therapies to treat pain include:
Strengthening exercises
Heat modalities
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit
Breathing techniques
As far as controlling pain is concerned it’s important to work slowly and not overdo it. Maxson says, “A resident can’t conquer the world in 2-3 sessions, but by working slowly and strengthening capabilities slowly they will be less likely to tire out and will stay motivated.”
For anyone with pain looking for remote options, Maxson suggests, “Keep moving, Just because your back or arm hurts doesn’t mean you should stop using it. The less you use it, the more painful it will be when you do need it.”
There have been countless stories of patients who have benefited greatly from pain management techniques, but one patient stands out to Maxson. “There was a gentleman who came to us following a stroke. He came here with a tube feed and was a hospice patient in bed. Now, he is off the tube feed and eating, no longer on hospice and can transfer himself with supervision. He is still on some pain medication, but not nearly on the level when he first arrived.”
Through therapy and pain management strategies, as well as staff and family support, patients can be greatly benefited in their healing journeys.