| What Techniques are Used to Control the Pain? |
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ARTICLE SUMMARY Mother Teresa visited and cared for the sick and dying in many countries. Once in Jenkins, Kentucky she visited an elderly lady dying in the hospital. This patient was suffering and in much pain, and on seeing Mother she told her about it. In reply Mother Teresa said that pain was ‘Jesus kissing her’. The suffering woman briefly smiled, and then said ‘Mother I love Jesus dearly, but would you please ask him to stop kissing me?’ Tell me about techniques
What techniques are used to Control the pain? FULL ARTICLE Mother Teresa visited and cared for the sick and dying in many countries. Once in Jenkins, Kentucky she visited an elderly lady dying in the hospital. This patient was suffering and in much pain, and on seeing Mother she told her about it. In reply Mother Teresa said that pain was ‘Jesus kissing her’. The suffering woman briefly smiled, and then said ‘Mother I love Jesus dearly, but would you please ask him to stop kissing me?’ No one should suffer in pain with today’s techniques. Good pain management requires that your loved one take medications as prescribed by the doctor. Any over the counter medications should be discussed with your doctor as well. By taking pain mediations regularly, break through pain can be avoided. Break through pain sometimes occurs between doses, especially if a dose is missed. When this happens, it will take an even greater amount of pain medication to bring the pain under control. Oral administration of pain medication is the most cost effective solution, and the least invasive. However side effects are sometimes greater with this route. If your loved one cannot swallow, suckers and liquids that are absorbed in the mouth (buccal) are also available. Aresols through the use of a nebulizer can also be used. Other routes of administration include contact with the skin (transdermal) buy use of a patch, rectally to avoid stomach upset, or small injections under the skin (subcutaneous). Sometimes a pain pump can be attached to this small needle and used for 3 to 5 days. Most of these methods can be done at home. Other routes of pain medications include though the veins (intravenous), which could also be managed with a pain pump, a patient controlled device to allow administration of pain medications as needed. Pumps normally have safety controls to prevent accidental overdose. Finally catheters could be placed in the spine or along nerve paths to deal more directly with the pain. Prescription narcotics, antidepressants, and over the counter pain medications can be combined into an effective pain management program. Be sure you and your suffering loved one consult with your doctor as you work on getting pain controlled and making your loved one comfortable. |