FAST FACTS: Pain 101

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.  There are two main categories of pain: Acute Pain and Persistent or Chronic Pain. 

Acute Pain

• Has a distinct beginning
• Usually has a known cause
• Short lasting
• Common causes are trauma or postsurgical pain

Persistent or Chronic Pain

• Does not resolve in the expected amount of time
• Often associated with damage to the body and psychological issues
• May occur without any past injury or trauma
• Can vary in character and intensity over time
• Chronic pain occurs at least half of the days for 6 months or more; after 6 months, is it called persistent pain  

Pain Assessment

• To determine the best course of treatment, your loved one’s health care provider will perform a complete evaluation to determine:
  • Underlying cause of pain
  • Pain characteristics
  • Impact of pain on physical, emotional, and social functioning and quality of life

• Your loved one’s report of pain is the most reliable evidence of intensity and impact on function

• Your loved one’s health care provider should assess for pain at each visit and use a standard pain scale

Pain Management

• The goal of pain management is to find the correct balance between pain relief, functional impairment, and side effects of any medication used for to treat pain. A combination of drug and nondrug treatments may lower the dose of medications needed and reduce side effects from those medications

• Nondrug treatment approaches may include physical and psychosocial therapies.

  • Physical Therapy examples: exercise (walking, tai chi, yogi), Acupuncture, TENS, Massage, Heat.
  • Psychosocial Therapy examples: Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, Guided Imagery with progressive muscle relaxation, Music, Meditation

What Else You Should Do

• Write down and share information about your loved one’s pain with their healthcare provider
• Use a Pain Diary to note important information useful to the healthcare provider
• Encourage your loved one to try a non-drug treatment and document the impact on their pain in their Pain Diary

Reference:

• Reuben DB, Herr KA, Pacala JT, et al. Geriatrics At Your Fingertips: 2021, 23rd Edition. New York: The American Geriatrics Society; 2021.

Revised January 2022