Acute Pain Management

Overall, acute pain management has the following benefits:

• Enhances patient comfort by reducing physical distress and improving overall well-being and allows patients to engage comfortably in daily activities or rehabilitation.
• Enhances healing and recovery by getting rid of the pain that impairs mobility or causes muscle tension, thus, promoting faster recovery.
• Prevents its progression to chronic pain, such as post-surgical pain or nerve sensitisation.
• Helps in reducing physiological stresses, such as high blood pressure and increased heart rate, minimising complications like cardiac strain or respiratory issues.
• Helps in improving mobility byeffectively controlling pain and promoting early mobilisation, especially after surgeries or injuries, preventing complications like deep vein thrombosis or muscle atrophy.
• Improves surgery outcomes and aids recovery improving adherence to physiotherapy and achieving optimal recovery.

Here are some common conditions that are treated via acute pain management techniques: 

• Injuries: Sprains, fractures, cuts, or burns that cause sudden sharp pain.
• Post-surgery pain: Pain while the body heals.
• Childbirth: Pain during labour and delivery.
• Dental problems: Tooth extractions, infections, or abscesses causing severe tooth ache.
• Headaches and migraines: Sudden, intense head pain that can interfere with daily activities.
• Kidney stones: Hard mineral deposits in the kidneys, causing severe side or back pain.
• Gallstones: Blockages in the gallbladder causing sharp stomach pain.
• Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix, which causes sudden pain in the lower right abdomen.
• Post-injury swelling and inflammation: Redness, swelling, and pain that follows injury.
• Shingles: Painful rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus in nerves.

• Medicine-based methods:
  • Analgesics (pain killers): Everyday tablets such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin for mild pain, and prescription drugs such as morphine, fentanyl for severe pain.
  • Local anaesthetics: Medicines like lidocaine or bupivacaine given as injections or creams to numb the area to block pain messages.
  • Extra medications: Steroids, anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medications), or antidepressants to enhance pain relief in specific cases.
  • Regional anaesthesia:
    • Nerve blocks: Injections near specific nerves to block pain sensation.
    • Epidural/spinal anaesthesia: Injections into the back to block pain in larger regions of the body, often used during surgeries or childbirth.
• Non-pharmacological methods:
  • Physical therapy: Massage, gentle stretching, or exercise to ease pain and help movement.
  • Cold or heat therapy: To reduce swelling or relax tight muscles.
  • Acupuncture: Stimulating pressure points using fine needles to reduce pain.
  • Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT): Psychological techniques to manage pain perception.
• Advanced interventions:
  • Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA): A pump that allows patients to give yourself a small amount of pain medication when needed.
  • Pain relief through a drip (IV therapy): Medicine given directly into a vein for quick and steady pain relief, usually in a hospital.
  • Multimodal analgesia: Using a combination of drugs and techniques to target multiple pain pathways, and reduce side effects.

• Medication-related risks:
  • Strong painkillers (opioids): These may cause addiction, slow breathing, and constipation.
  • NSAIDs: Long-term use can cause irritate the stomach, cause ulcers, or harm the kidney.
• Allergic reactions: Hypersensitivity to medications, such as anaphylaxis.
• Regional anaesthesia risks:
  • Nerve Injury: Rare but possible when injecting near nerves.
  • Infection(s) or hematoma: Can happen where a needle is placed in the spine or epidural space.
  • Cardiovascular effects: : Hypotension (low blood pressure) can be caused due to sympathetic blockade.
• Emotional and behavioural risks:
  • Pain not being relieved can cause frustration or loss of trust in medical providers.
  • Fear of dependence on pain medications.
• Procedure-related risks:
  • Administering injections at the wrong site can cause severe nerve damage, paralysis (rare), or ineffective pain control.
  • Overmedication may lead to poisoning or other serious side effects.
• Non-pharmacological risks:
  • Hot or cold packs: Improper application can cause skin burns or frostbite.
  • Physical therapy: Too much exercise can make the pain worse or delay healing.

After receiving acute pain management, following the right care steps will help you recover faster and avoid complications.

• Take pain medicines exactly as prescribed and never adjust the dose yourself.
• Use hot or cold packs only as instructed to prevent burns or frostbite.
• Keep injection and treatment areas (for nerve blocks and infusions) clean and watch for redness, swelling, or fever.
• Start physiotherapy exercises gently and increase only as advised by your therapist.
• Rest when you need to, maintain a healthy diet, and stay well hydrated. 

Contact your healthcare provider immediately if pain suddenly worsens, side effects appear, or new symptoms develop.