Pain is top concern in Ohio and the nation
Written on January 23, 2012 by George Moowattin
High costs and the alarmingly high number of accidental deaths linked to prescription pain pills have made pain treatment a central issue in health care across Ohio and the nation.
especially children and the elderly who sometimes cannot express their needs.
especially chronic pain.
often linked to cases of drug abuse — and to student observation of patients.
even those with the same injury or illnesses — perceive twinging, throbbing, aching or soreness very differently.
such as that accompanying burns or kidney stones — should be treated immediately. Otherwise, there can be changes in the central nervous system and spinal cord that cause the pain to become worse. These changes can result in severe pain that lingers long after the original injury or disease is resolved.
two to five days,” Hayek said.
such as easing their anxiety.”
In cases where the injury has healed, other physiological sources have been ruled out and the pain continues, Kriegler said, “we need to treat the problem in the brain because that’s where the change has occurred.”
Even if there is no obvious source, the pain is very real to the patients. So doctors in training are being taught to find additional means to help patients get some relief.
Counseling could be in order for a patient who, for example, has suffered past abuse or has a fear of illnesses recurring because of family history, she said. “Medical students need to understand that if they cannot help patients, they need to get them to the right specialist who can.”
Kathy Cole-Kelly, professor of family medicine at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, said putting the patient in the center of treatment is key.
Cole-Kelly, who teaches communication skills at the medical school, said students are trained to look at the situation from the patient’s perspective. That involves asking questions about a patient’s life and listening. A patient with headaches may be worried because his uncle died of a brain tumor.
Family beliefs based on different cultures or heritages could be at the center of a patient’s complaints about pain, she said. A patient is more likely to understand his situation if the doctor talks through the beliefs with the patient rather than just dismissing him, she said.
Cole-Kelly said medical students can learn these communication skills just as they learn to recognize physical ailments.
Once medical students get to the hospital floors, Kriegler said, they soon realize how emotional the pain can be for patients and their families.
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