What is pain management?

Pain management is the process of providing medical care that stops or lessens pain. Your medical team will create a pain management program tailored to you. The goals are to:

  • Improve quality of life and function
  • Reduce the need for pain medications
  • Lower pain levels

What kinds of pain are there?

There are two kinds of pain.

Acute Pain:

  • Comes on quickly, can be severe, but lasts a short period of time
  • Happens most often because of a specific injury, like a broken bone or a cut, and can be treated
  • Lessens or goes away as injury heals, swelling goes down, or infection clears up

Chronic Pain:

  • Stays even after the wound is healed, or gets worse over a long period of time
  • Is often resistant to medical treatments
  • May be related to a number of different medical conditions, previous trauma, or injury
  • Is often due to arthritis or spine degeneration
  • May get worse because of environmental and/or psychological factors

What are the physical signs of pain?

Physical signs of pain include:

  • Facial expressions, grimacing
  • Breathing and sighing heavily
  • Unusual body movements, limping
  • Behavioral changes, not wanting to eat, move, or sleep
  • Emotional changes, crying, or irritability

How is pain treated?

Your pain management program may include:

  • Medicines (over-the-counter or prescription pain medicines)
  • Physical activity
  • Hypnosis
  • Pastoral counseling
  • Icing
  • Acupuncture
  • Massage therapy
  • Support groups
  • Activities that can occupy attention, like hobbies, meditation and relaxation, laughter and music

What other things should I know?

To help the Veteran manage pain:

  • Learn as much as you can about the cause of the pain.
  • Know the pain management plan and ask the medical team questions when you don’t understand it.
  • Report your pain.
  • Change positions often and use pillows to help prop the body.
  • Give medicines exactly as prescribed and store them securely.
  • Track pain levels and discuss them with the medical team.
  • Participate in fun activities to distract from the pain.
  • Be aware of possible suicide risks or other safety concerns.
  • Discuss concerns with the medical team immediately.
  • Press the red cross button in this app and call 911 or the Veteran's Crisis Line if you think you or your Veteran needs help right away.

What about pain medicines?

Many medicines treat pain.

  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol brand) which is available over-the-counter or as a prescription in a higher dose
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil brands) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) which are available over-the-counter or as a prescription in a higher dose
  • Seizure medications and related drugs that help pain caused by damaged or diseased nerves
  • Antidepressant medications that help people cope with chronic pain
  • Narcotics