Venting the Pain

One of life’s most conflicted relationships is the one between a pain patient and his or her medication. Issues of reliability, dependence, and the compromise of side effects dominate the decision to take medication. Most pain patients consider medication to be a necessary evil, with a trade off between excruciating pain on one hand and alertness, mental clarity, and smooth gastrointestinal functioning on the other.

In addition to the unpleasant side effects of most pain medication, there is the social stigma of taking addicting substances. Often family and friends are opposed to the patient’s use of narcotic medication for fear that the person will become a drug addict. Medications like OxyContin, morphine, and methadone have often been in the news, and their very names conjure up images of down-and-out street drug users. Therefore, it is very important to understand the distinction between physical dependence and psychological addiction if you are to make an informed decision about taking pain medication.
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A recent article in U.S. News & World Report (January 21, 2008) entitled “Alternative Medicine Goes Mainstream” outlines a number of therapies that used to be outside the realm of medical treatment but are now being recognized and used as adjunct treatments at major medical centers. These techniques have been termed “alternative medicine,” suggesting an either-or approach to treatment. More recently, however, the therapies that have been seen as an alternative to conventional, evidence based medicine are being incorporated into a “whole person” approach to treatment. “Alternative” medicine is now being seen as “complementary” and “integrative” medicine.
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Is your pain burning, squeezing, stabbing, aching, or tingling? Is it dull or sharp? Is it constant or intermittent? Is it localized, diffuse, or traveling? If you have had longstanding pain, you may have used these words in an attempt to define your experience. We know that the simple word “pain” is grossly inadequate in describing the vastness and intensity of the pain experience. Recurrent or persistent pain is estimated to occur in nearly half the general population. It is important that you as a pain sufferer know the vocabulary of pain so you can understand the why and wherefore of your situation and communicate it accurately with your treatment providers.
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