Pain Control

It is important for pain to be controlled in order for you to heal. If you are in pain, it is important for you to tell your physician and your nurse. If the pain is still there after you get your treatment or after you get your medication, tell your nurse so that other medications can be tried.

A PCA Pump (Patient Controlled Analgesia Pump) may be used to give you measured doses of pain medication. This pump allows you to control how frequently you receive pain medication by pushing a button. If you have questions, check with your nurse.

Understanding Your Pain

Your nurse will ask you four things about your pain:

• Where is your pain located? Sometimes pain is in more than one place. Be sure to tell your nurse all the places where there is pain or discomfort.
• What does your pain feel like? Pain may feel like it is dull, throbbing, pins and needles, stabbing or many other feelings.
• Is the pain there all the time, or does it come and go? Does it get worse when you move, cough or walk?
• How much pain do you have? Using a scale from 0 -10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you can think of, where would you rate your pain? Your answers to these questions will help you, your physician and your nurse make the best plan to treat your pain.