介绍:
[41.Pain and Pain Management]
Years ago, doctors often said that pain was a normal part of life.
In particular, when older patients complained of pain,
they were told it was a natural part of aging
and they would have to learn to live with it.
Times have changed.
Today, we take pain seriously.
Indeed, pain is now considered the fifth vital sign,
as important as blood pressure, temperature, breathing rate
and pulse in determining a person's well-being.
We know that chronic pain can disrupt a person's life,
causing problems that range from missed work to depression.
That's why a growing number of hospitals now depend upon physicians
who specialize in pain medicine.
Not only do we evaluate the cause of the pain,
which can help us treat the pain better,
but we also help provide comprehensive therapy
for depression and other psychological and social issues
related to chronic pain.
Such comprehensive therapy often involves the work of social workers,
psychiatrists and psychologists,
as well as specialists in pain medicine.
This modern respect for pain management
has led to a wealth of innovative treatments
which are more effective and with fewer side effects than ever before.
Decades ago,
there were only a limited number of drugs available,
and many of them caused significant side effects in older people,
including dizziness and fatigue.
This created a double-edged sword:
the medications helped relieve the pain
but caused other problems that could be worse than the pain itself.
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