This patient information guide will review opioid medicines, your pain care plan, alternatives to opioids for pain management, possible side effects, and how to take opioids in a safe and responsible way. © U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Acute pain is pain that is short term, occurring most often after injury or surgery. Patients need to understand that managing their acute pain actually helps their healing, and they play an important role in helping their doctors develop a pain management plan that works best for them.
Opioids are often prescribed to relieve the intense pain that accompanies a serious injury or surgical procedure. While opioids can be addictive, they are considered safe and effective for acute pain management if used for the shortest length of time and at the lowest effective dose necessary. A doctor who prescribes opioids for pain management should regularly monitor your pain levels with the goal of safely discontinuing their use when your pain is more manageable (or under control).
There is no medical test that can tell your healthcare provider what level of pain you might be experiencing following an injury or surgery. That information has to come from you as the patient. Learning how to honestly describe and rate your pain will help your doctor determine the best way to manage that pain and get you on the road to recovery.
A PCA or patient-controlled analgesia pump is one way to receive pain medication in the hospital. Your healthcare team will determine if you are a good candidate for this treatment, which allows you to push a button to receive medication directly into a vein when you experience pain. The pump is programmed so that you cannot give yourself too much.
A PCA pump lets you give yourself pain medicine after surgery, as you need it. The medicine is delivered through an IV (intravenous) line, a thin tube that goes into your vein.
Once you're home after surgery, you may have some pain. For effective pain management, follow the tips you may have learned in the hospital.
A pain scale measures your pain changes for you as a way to keep track of your pain. You can then share this information with your healthcare provider.
Electrothermal therapy, also known as intradiscal electrothermal therapy, uses heat to change the structure of the tissue inside the disk in your back. It doesn't relieve pain right away. Pain is reduced as the disk heals.
For your health and safety, it's important to take opioids exactly as directed. This helps make sure they work as they should.
It's normal to feel pain at the incision site. The pain decreases as the wound heals. Pain that continues more than a few weeks after surgery or pain that gets worse any time after surgery can be a sign of a problem.
T.E.D. stockings are used to help stop blood clots from forming in the deep veins of your legs. They look like support hose. But they are specially designed to put more pressure on your foot and ankle and less pressure at the upper end of the stocking. They are also called TED hose.
