PAIN: a Warning Signal
October 12, 2001 | 12:00am
Every time you feel pain, what do you do? Pop a pain pill… like the kind you see on TV, right? But then, what do you do afterwards? Do you usually check with your doctor and try to find out what caused the pain – especially if that pain seems to just keep coming back? Do you ask your doctor if you took the right kind of medication, seriously considering the contraindications and possible side effects?
If your answer to these questions is NO - you may be putting yourself at risk. Pain in itself is not an illness or disease, but rather, it is a symptom of an illness or injury. Pain is a warning signal, telling us that something is wrong and needs immediate attention. It is an indicator that something more serious may be brewing in our body, like an infection or an injury that needs immediate medical care. Pain may emanate from a broken bone, an abscess, menstrual / abdominal cramps, swelling, arthritis, etc. It is the flashing red light calling our attention, telling us that something is wrong and must be looked into. So, if you merely treat the pain without determining the root cause of it, you may be doing more harm than good.
Pain relief is not the ‘end all.’ Proper diagnosis and medication is necessary to treat not only the pain but also the underlying cause of it. For instance, did you know that pain on both sides of the lower back may be an indication of kidney disease? Stabbing pain in the lower right side of the abdomen may mean appendicitis, while constant aches, swelling, and stiffness of the joints are likely signs of arthritis. So you see, treating or relieving the pain is just part of it. We are not saying that pain relief is not important. On the contrary, pain relief is so crucial that it can determine just how a person may spend the rest of his life. Pain relief means alleviating the person’s discomfort and immobility. Proper pain treatment and management allows the individual to maintain and continue a certain quality of life – a life where he can carry on with normal tasks encountered in day-to-day living. Such is the case with persons previously debilitated with arthritic pain - pain treatment enables them to lead productive and active lives with the help of pain relievers.
In one study, a group of 565 men and women afflicted with osteoarthritis were given rofecoxib for six weeks or a placebo (sugar pill). After the study, the researchers evaluated the patients’ emotional well-being and overall quality of life and found that those treated with rofecoxib showed improved mental health scores, such as better social functioning and fewer problems with work. The significant reduction in pain allowed an improvement in the patients’ daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, walking, bending, lifting, doing household chores as well as participating in sports activities.
However, treating pain with just any pain medication can prove to be harmful. Some common over-the-counter pain relievers such as NSAIDs (Non-Steriodal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are known to cause heartburn, nausea, stomach ulcers & bleeding - sometimes even death. In the past years, the use of NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen, aspirin, diclofenac, ketoprofen, naproxen, etc.) has been the medicine of choice for the treatment of pain. However, with the emergence of new pain medications like Vioxx (rofecoxib), patients can now be spared from such stomach side effects and complications. Much care is needed in choosing the safest and most effective pain reliever for you. The temporary relief of pain should never compromise other aspects of the person’s health.
Remember, while treating the pain, you need not add further complications to your list of ailments. Unnecessary damage can be avoided if the appropriate choice of medication is made. Consult your doctor and learn more about the benefits & side effects of pain medications. "In prescribing a pain reliever, the patient’s total well-being and overall wellness should always be the top priority of a physician" says Dr. Adriano Laudico, noted surgeon and chairman of PMIA (Pain Management Information Agency).
For comments and insights, please write to Pain Management Information Agency (PMIA) P.O. Box 3485 Makati, fax 892 3968 or e-mail at paincare@pmia.com.ph. PMIA was established primarily to increase public awareness and understanding of pain and to recommend appropriate medical and practical ways to manage and control pain.
If your answer to these questions is NO - you may be putting yourself at risk. Pain in itself is not an illness or disease, but rather, it is a symptom of an illness or injury. Pain is a warning signal, telling us that something is wrong and needs immediate attention. It is an indicator that something more serious may be brewing in our body, like an infection or an injury that needs immediate medical care. Pain may emanate from a broken bone, an abscess, menstrual / abdominal cramps, swelling, arthritis, etc. It is the flashing red light calling our attention, telling us that something is wrong and must be looked into. So, if you merely treat the pain without determining the root cause of it, you may be doing more harm than good.
Pain relief is not the ‘end all.’ Proper diagnosis and medication is necessary to treat not only the pain but also the underlying cause of it. For instance, did you know that pain on both sides of the lower back may be an indication of kidney disease? Stabbing pain in the lower right side of the abdomen may mean appendicitis, while constant aches, swelling, and stiffness of the joints are likely signs of arthritis. So you see, treating or relieving the pain is just part of it. We are not saying that pain relief is not important. On the contrary, pain relief is so crucial that it can determine just how a person may spend the rest of his life. Pain relief means alleviating the person’s discomfort and immobility. Proper pain treatment and management allows the individual to maintain and continue a certain quality of life – a life where he can carry on with normal tasks encountered in day-to-day living. Such is the case with persons previously debilitated with arthritic pain - pain treatment enables them to lead productive and active lives with the help of pain relievers.
In one study, a group of 565 men and women afflicted with osteoarthritis were given rofecoxib for six weeks or a placebo (sugar pill). After the study, the researchers evaluated the patients’ emotional well-being and overall quality of life and found that those treated with rofecoxib showed improved mental health scores, such as better social functioning and fewer problems with work. The significant reduction in pain allowed an improvement in the patients’ daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, walking, bending, lifting, doing household chores as well as participating in sports activities.
However, treating pain with just any pain medication can prove to be harmful. Some common over-the-counter pain relievers such as NSAIDs (Non-Steriodal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are known to cause heartburn, nausea, stomach ulcers & bleeding - sometimes even death. In the past years, the use of NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen, aspirin, diclofenac, ketoprofen, naproxen, etc.) has been the medicine of choice for the treatment of pain. However, with the emergence of new pain medications like Vioxx (rofecoxib), patients can now be spared from such stomach side effects and complications. Much care is needed in choosing the safest and most effective pain reliever for you. The temporary relief of pain should never compromise other aspects of the person’s health.
Remember, while treating the pain, you need not add further complications to your list of ailments. Unnecessary damage can be avoided if the appropriate choice of medication is made. Consult your doctor and learn more about the benefits & side effects of pain medications. "In prescribing a pain reliever, the patient’s total well-being and overall wellness should always be the top priority of a physician" says Dr. Adriano Laudico, noted surgeon and chairman of PMIA (Pain Management Information Agency).
For comments and insights, please write to Pain Management Information Agency (PMIA) P.O. Box 3485 Makati, fax 892 3968 or e-mail at paincare@pmia.com.ph. PMIA was established primarily to increase public awareness and understanding of pain and to recommend appropriate medical and practical ways to manage and control pain.
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