2001 – 2010 “US Congress has declared this as the Decade of Pain Control and Research.”

The 106th Congress passed it, second session and President Clinton on October 28th, 2000 signed it. Becoming public Law106-386

President Clinton’s legislation has lead great changes in the Health Care industry and also created world awareness about pain management.

Pain Management as a medical specialty is relatively new. However now that chronic pain is becoming recognized as a primary problem, rather than always being a symptom of a disease, the specialty of pain management is starting to grow.

The Purpose of Pain:
Pain is the body’s alarm that tells it something is wrong. When your body is injured, nerves in the affected area release chemical signals. Other nerves send these signals to your brain, where they are recognized as pain.
• Symptom Control
• Rehabilitation
• Continuity of care

Pain Management requires a holistic assessment. Clearly, each member of the team will have a more prominent role at different times, for example, doctor and nurse specialist at times of difficult pain control, physiotherapist during periods of immobility, and a palliative care social worker and Counselor whenever there are difficult social and communication problems.

Pain has been described as ‘natures’ warning’ that something is wrong with the body, either locally or systemically. Pain may take various forms such as aching, throbbing, tingling lighting, spasmodic and so on. Each person has his own tolerance to pain what can be described as executing by one may be regarded as merely acting by another. Pain is what the patient says it is – Pain can be intensified by fear and anxiety and analgesia is often combined with a tranquilizer or anti-depressant.