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Understanding Pain

Some people think that pain is a natural part of aging or illness -that is wrong. There is almost always a reason for the pain and most physical pain can be managed.  

Pain is most often associated with physical pain but chronic or ongoing pain can lead to emotional suffering as well. In addition to physical discomfort, chronic pain can lead to sleep problems and depression when pain is not treated. You also may feel overwhelmed by intense emotions of panic, grief or anger.

Chronic or ongoing pain is frustrating to live with, both for you and for the people near you. Because chronic pain is such a personal experience, it's difficult for anyone else to understand exactly what you're feeling and going through since no one knows your pain like you.

You and your pain deserve to be treated. Learn about the causes of your pain and all of your treatment options. This is the best way you can begin to help yourself and start feeling better.

Many people have incorrect information and concerns about treating their pain. The following statements and answers provide the facts about pain and pain management.

• "If I tell the doctor about my pain he or she will think I'm a complainer."
  Response: It is the doctor and healthcare provider’s job to work out the best way to control pain. To do this, they rely on you to tell them about your pain. They can't do their job unless you do yours.
  
• "Of course I have aches and pains. I’m old."
  Response: Pain is not a normal part of growing old. Pain in older adults, just like pain in any other age group, is your body’s way of telling you something needs attention. You need to talk about this with a doctor or your family caregivers so the issue can be treated.
  
• "My father is confused. What he says doesn't make sense, so I can't tell whether he's in pain or not."
  Response: Even when people are confused, oftentimes they can let you know when they are in pain. It may be helpful to look for changes in mood, activity level, body language, and facial expressions.
  
• "I'm afraid of addiction."
  Response: It is very unusual for people who have pain to become addicted to pain medicines. People who have pain need to be treated, so concerns about addiction, in most cases, should not enter into the doctor's decision to prescribe these medicines.

There is a difference between addiction, which is a psychological craving for medicine, and physical dependence. People who need opioids (narcotics) for a period of time may develop a physical dependence on the medicine, with uncomfortable symptoms, such as sweating, chills, and nausea, if the medicine is stopped suddenly. This is only a temporary situation that can be prevented by slowly reducing the medicine over a few days or a few weeks.

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