Manage Pain : New health report discusses ways to manage pain

BOSTON , MA.- Relieving pain is one of the most ancient medical goals and the most common reason that people see a doctor. Pain can depress you emotionally, interfere with your ability to work, and prevent you from enjoying someone else's company. What to Do About Pain, a special health report from Harvard Medical School , explains ways to manage common pain conditions, advances in medications and injection therapies, physical and exercise treatments, and alternative treatments for pain.

Huge strides have been made in understanding pain, and significant advances have been made in the development of new medication and nondrug therapies. Doctors can now use an ever-broadening array of treatments—from acupuncture to analgesics, biofeedback to spinal injections—to help individuals achieve a quality standard of life.

According to What to Do About Pain, variables such as family upbringing, cultural influences, attitude, and past pain experiences shape your perception of pain. Additionally, the method that works best to relieve pain differs from person to person.

The following are suggestions included in the special health report about ways people can help alleviate discomfort and distress:

Physical treatments such as using cold and heat, physical therapy, spinal manipulation, and electrical stimulation can be good nondrug remedies. Acupuncture, relaxation techniques, herbal products, and meditation are widely used alternative treatments to relieve discomfort from back pain, headaches, and arthritis. People suffering pain due to cancer often use the three-step “pain relief ladder.” Doctors prescribe drugs based on the patient's level of pain. NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen) for mild pain, mild opioid (codeine, propoxyphene, oxycodone) for moderate pain, and strong opioid (morphine and hydromorphone) for severe pain.

What to Do About Pain also provides information about treating headaches, arthritis, back, and nerve pain. This special health report is a complete guide to ways you can develop a pain treatment program that best suits your individual needs.

What to Do About Pain is available from Harvard Health Publications and can be purchased for $16 at www.health.harvard.edu/shr or by calling 1-877-649-9457 toll-free.