of the pain, other health conditions that are pres-
ent, other medications the person is taking, and
the person’s overall health status. Nonmedication
methods of pain relief, such as ACUPUNCTUREand
therapeutic massage, may also be effective.
It is important to take pain relief medications
according to the directions on the label for both
prescription drugs and OVER-THE-COUNTER (OTC)
DRUGS. Many medications prescribed for pain
relief, particularly to treat postoperative pain or
chronic pain, are most effective when taken on a
schedule that maintains a THERAPEUTIC LEVELof the
drug in the blood circulation.
Just as people experience pain differently, peo-
ple respond to pain medications differently. Con-
sequently, the appropriate dose and schedule for
the medication varies. As well, some medications
are more effective for certain kinds of pain and
not very effective for other kinds of pain. It is
important to let the doctor know if the prescribed
medication does not adequately relieve the pain or
causes unpleasant side effects.
Many people, including doctors, worry about
ADDICTIONwith the use of NARCOTICS. As a result,
doctors may underprescribe or people may take
less medication than is necessary to relieve the
pain. However, narcotics remain the most effective
analgesic medications for moderate to severe pain,
especially pain during recovery from surgery or
serious injuries and pain due to CANCER. Although
many people do develop TOLERANCEto pain relief
medications being taken over an extended time,
numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that
addiction very seldom occurs. Physicians who are
pain management specialists or who frequently
treat conditions in which pain is a key symptom
are most familiar with current approaches to pain
management.
See also ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR PAIN RELIEF;
DRUG INTERACTION; LIVING WITH PAIN; NEUROGENIC PAIN;
PAIN MANAGEMENT IN CANCER; PATIENT-CONTROLLED
ANALGESIA (PCA); PHANTOM PAIN; SCHEDULED DRUG;
SIDE EFFECT; WONG-BAKER FACES PAIN RATING SCALE.variable pain response The fluctuations that
occur in the experience of PAIN. Pain’s subjective
nature means its intensity often varies with cir-
cumstances not directly related to the cause of the
pain. Factors such as heat, cold, moisture, signifi-
cant drops or rises in the barometric pressure, pro-
longed sitting at a computer or riding in a car,
certain activities or lack of activity, the consistency
with which the person takes pain relief medica-
tion, and even the foods the person consumes all
may influence pain intensity. The variability of
pain, especially chronic pain, is often frustrating
because the person cannot always anticipate how
he or she will feel, even under given circum-
stances. Specific conditions may act either to ease
or aggravate pain, though not necessarily with
predictable consistency.
See also ANALGESIC MEDICATIONS; EUDYNIA; LIVING
WITH PAIN; MALDYNIA; QUALITY OF LIFE; UNDERSTANDING
PAIN; WEIGHT AND PAIN.388 Pain and Pain Management