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Introduction
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Many people
still believe that the "grin and bear it" idea of pain
management,
Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O. wants you to know about all the
modern pain management
techniques now available.
"There is still perception that a good patient is one who doesn't
complain a lot about pain," says
B. Eliot Cole, M.D., of the
American Academy of Pain Management. "Some patients feel that
way,
too. But we can now control just about any kind of pain, including
chronic pain and the
severe pain associated with advanced cancers."
What's New? - New drug-delivery systems have improved pain management.
In the past,
doctors have struggled to maintain consistent levels of
drugs in patients without causing side
effects such as drowsiness and
digestive problems. To combat these problems, scientists have
developed transdermal patches that let drugs seep through the skin, nasal sprays,
and electronic
devices - some, the size of a wristwatch - the use pulses
of electricity through the skin. Some
new pills allow drugs to leach out
slowly over periods of 12 hours.
There are also new drugs for old pains. Migraines can be treated quickly
with agents from the
triptan family of drugs, using nasal sprays or
pills that dissolve on the tip of the tongue. A new
class of drugs
called Cox-2 inhibitors have been shown to reduce arthritic inflammation
and pain
without causing stomach distress.
But pain management isn't just about drugs. A variety of factors
contribute to chronic pain, such
as tension, anxiety, and physical
deterioration. Because of that, Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O.
may recommend changes in
diet and environment. Gulf Cost Pain Management provides
patients with
suggestions for relaxation techniques, mild exercise programs and when
needed,
counseling.
According to Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O. "medical schools offer little training in
pain
management. I have good physician colleagues who fear prescribing
adequate pain control
with narcotics because of the possibility of
misuse and drug addictions that could potentially
lead to investigations
by the DEA. Unfortunately, as we all know through the media, some
chronic and terminally ill patients prefer death to living with
inadequately controlled pain."
Recent legislation, however,
requires primary care physicians to inform patients of all pain
management options available.
"A patient who wants to commit suicide to get relief from pain is
not receiving the kind of
care he or she needs," says Columbus.
"That care is available - patients and their families
need to
demand it."
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