Managing pain

Pain is an unpleasant physical or psychological response to real or perceived tissue damage.

Acute pain is associated with an inciting event, such as a bone fracture, cut or sprain. Acute pain generally lasts no more than three to six months and normally resolves through the normal healing process. Acute pain can also be recurrent in chronic conditions that have episodic fluctuations such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Chronic pain is generally classified as pain lasting longer than three months. Chronic pain can persist past a person’s normal healing process.

Pain management is often required to provide a person in pain with relief, with minimal side effects. Pain management strategies will vary depending on a person’s individual circumstances and will generally include pharmacological treatment, complementary therapies or a combination of both.

• pharmacological treatment includes the prescription of pain management medications such as analgesics, opioids, antidepressants, corticosteroids, local anaesthetics or nerve blocks
• complimentary therapies includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, massage, acupuncture, psychological intervention, osteopathic or chiropractic treatment.

Workplace solutions and adjustments

Managing pain in the workplace is important in enabling an employee to carry out their role in the workplace. There are various solutions and adjustments that can be put in place to help manage pain in the workplace such as avoiding stressful situations, timing medication, taking regular breaks, using good body mechanics and ensuring a good working position at the workstation.

Modifying work tasks can also be beneficial in managing pain in the workplace. This may take the form of limiting weight of objects lifted, altering height of workstation, reducing number of repetitive movements, and limiting amount of specific movements such as twisting.

References 

Better Health Channel 2008, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 3 March 2010, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Pain_management?open.

EverydayHealth 2009, Pain Management Centre, Everyday Health Inc, New York, viewed 3 March 2010, <http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/index.aspx>.

Gomella, L. G. & Haist, S. A. 2007, Clinician's Pocket Reference, 11^th edn, Chapter 14 - Pain Management, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Columbus.

MDA Internet 2009 (secure site), Reed Group, Colorado, viewed 3 March 2010, <http://www.mdainternet.com>.

Links to more specific job requirements for managing pain

• Managing pain
• Managing pain associated with injury or illness