Pain: Going up
Three types of pain—chronic, acute, and cancer pain
Acute pain has a distinct beginning and end and is the result of illness or injury. This type of pain usually can be largely relieved with appropriate treatment, as can cancer pain. It is important that the pain be taken seriously and managed as part of sound patient care.
Currently, there is no cure for chronic pain and, as a condition that can affect individuals lifelong, it also needs to be taken seriously. A multidisciplinary treatment approach can help people with chronic pain regain control of their lives and reduce their sense of suffering.
CHRONIC PAIN FACTS Key Facts: Chronic pain lasts. Pain is considered chronic when it continues beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or an illness. It may be continuous or come and go. Chronic pain, sometimes called persistent pain, can be very stressful for both the body and the soul and requires careful, ongoing attention to be appropriately treated.
Chronic pain is often intractable, as the cause of pain cannot be removed or treated. Chronic pain is the number one cause of adult disability in the United States. Chronic pain can touch nearly every part of a person’s daily life. It also has an impact on the family and, because of its economic and social consequences, it affects us all. Chronic pain can be a source of frustration for the health care professionals who seek to provide care and assistance. Incidence:
The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) estimates that one in three Americans (approximately 50 million people) suffers from some type of chronic pain Causes: Lower back problems, arthritis, cancer, RSDS, repetitive stress injuries, shingles, headaches, and fibromyalgia are the most common sources of chronic pain.
Others include diabetic neuropathy, phantom limb sensation, and other neurological conditions.
ACUTE PAIN FACTS Key Facts: Acute pain may be mild and last just a moment. It also can be severe and last for weeks or months, as does pain from a burn, pulled muscle, or broken bone. Acute pain has a distinct beginning and end. The cause of acute pain is known and, as you heal, the pain will lessen and finally go away.
Acute pain usually starts suddenly, may be sharp, and often triggers visible bodily reactions such as sweating, an elevated blood pressure, and more. Acute pain is generally a signal of rapid-onset injury to the body and it resolves when pain relief is given or the injury is treated. Pain should be considered the fifth vital sign, along with respiration, pulse, blood pressure, and core temperature.
Most of the time medication and other treatments can greatly relieve acute pain. Pain management is an important part of effective total care. Incidence: Muscle pain, one of the most common types of acute pain, affects 53 percent of Americans. Lower back pain is the most common form of acute pain and is the fifth most common cause for all physician visits. It is responsible for direct health care expenditures of more than $20 billion annually. Causes: Acute pain is triggered by tissue damage such as a skin burn, muscle pain, or a broken bone. It’s the type of pain that generally accompanies an illness, an injury, or surgery. Acute pain can manifest in just about any part of the body.
CANCER PAIN FACTS Key Facts: Not everyone who has cancer experiences pain; those who do may not have it all the time. Ongoing cancer pain can be successfully treated in about 95 percent of people with cancer with the drug and non-drug therapies that are currently available. Along with ongoing cancer pain, sometimes people have acute flares of pain when not all pain is controlled by the medication or therapy.
This pain, usually called breakthrough pain, can also be controlled by additional medications. Cancer patients often downplay their pain to doctors for fear that their pain means that their cancer is getting worse or that they will be thought to be complainers. In almost every aspect of cancer treatment—surgery, chemotherapy or radiation— cancer patients follow the lead of their doctors.
But when it comes to pain, patients need to assert themselves and be open about the degree of pain they are experiencing. Incidence: Approximately 30 to 40 percent of Americans diagnosed with cancer experience moderate to severe pain, with 90 percent of people who have a more advanced diagnosis of cancer experiencing a significant amount of pain. Sixty to 80 percent of all cancer patients with bone metastases feel pain. Causes:
Most cancer pain is caused by the effects of cancer itself, side effects of treatment, compression on bones, nerves or body organs, poor blood circulation, blockage of an organ, metastasis, infection, or inflammation.
