Pain therapy – treatment, effects & risks
Pain
When one speaks of pain therapy, one usually means all medical measures that initiate a reduction of the feeling of pain. In the case of chronic pain, the term pain management is often used.
What is pain therapy?
Pain is a signal from the body. It indicates that something in the body is not working properly and forces us to spare the painful body part or organ so that it has the opportunity to regenerate and heal.
A distinction is made between acute and chronic pain. Accordingly, acute pain is treated differently than chronic pain.
While chronic pain requires long-term therapy, the acute moment of pain is to be regarded as an emergency and may require high-dose medication at short notice.
In addition to drug therapy, there are numerous ways to treat and alleviate pain. All these forms of relieving various types of pain are called pain therapy in medicine.
Function, impact & goals
One of the most effective immediate measures for many pains is heat therapy, i.e. the use of warming aids, such as a hot water bottle, heat patches, cherry stone or spelt pillows.Baths can also relieve pain and are successfully used, among other things, in obstetrics to ease the painful contractions of the woman giving birth. The warmth has a soothing effect and relieves mild to moderate pain in the appropriate area. In addition, heat relaxes and can thus relieve tension of the musculoskeletal system.
In individual cases, exercise can also relieve pain. For example, cycling builds up cartilage and can thus help against knee problems. In the case of pain of the musculoskeletal system, targeted exercise tailored to the pain has proven itself, especially muscle building relieves the skeleton and can thus relieve pain.
In general, exercise leads to the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, which have a mood-enhancing and thus at the same time pain-relieving effect.
It has also been observed that the psychological or psychosocial component in the treatment of pain plays a role that should not be underestimated. Those who are happy generally feel less pain. Happiness hormones (endorphins) act like the body’s own morphine and quench the suffering.
In addition, a person does not focus unnecessarily on his pain in a happy moment. For this reason, occupational therapy forms are often indicated, especially in the case of chronic pain. Even maintaining social contacts and being friends and family can relieve pain. In institutions such as nursing homes and palliative medicine, occupational therapy, such as sitting dance, discussion groups or similar so-called activation measures are offered.
If none of the methods already mentioned helps, the drug therapy of pain ultimately remains. Since pain can be of different nature, in addition to the pain-relieving measure, it is important to find out the cause of the pain (causal therapy) and eliminate it if possible. A purely analgesic treatment usually does not help in the long term. In drug therapy, a distinction is made between the local and the systemic form of therapy.
This means that a drug can either be used locally or the pain in the body can be quenched, e.g. by means of a tablet or an injection. We all know “light” painkillers, such as ASA (acetylsalicylic acid), paracetamol or ibuprofen. These funds can be taken as self-medication for acute pain conditions, but should not be taken permanently without medical supervision.
Side effects, risks & dangers
They also have side effects and can lead to dependence if taken for a long time. In some forms of treatment of chronic pain, one now also starts to administer mood enhancers to the patient, since – simply speaking – the pain then “makes less” of the patient, which of course does not mean that the practitioner does not take the pain of his patient seriously.Finally, morphine preparations are also used. However, these remedies are only used for the most severe pain conditions, such as in cancer therapy or advanced rheumatic diseases, as they can be addictive and, in the worst case, can have a life-shortening effect.
The prescription of morphine preparations falls under the Narcotics Act. Exact documentation and application under medical supervision are therefore essential. In pain therapy, what is primarily allowed is what is good and subjectively alleviates. In principle, there is no patent remedy for the treatment and elimination of pain. The patient decides which measures will give him relief and what contributes to his well-being.
Hello! I am Lisa Newlon, and I am a medical writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and my deep understanding of medical terminology, practices, and procedures has made me a trusted source of information in the medical world.