I have heard both doctors and patients refer to pain management as a personal journey. Perhaps you have as well. But do you know why that is? Do you understand why pain management is so different compared to most other forms of medicine? Knowing what makes pain management different makes clear why it is more of a journey than anything else.
For the record, pain management – also referred to as pain medicine – is a recognized medical specialty. Pain medicine doctors undergo additional training after medical school, much the same way cardiologists and oncologists do. Their additional training prepares them to help patients deal with pain above and beyond what GPs and family doctors can do.
With that out of the way, here are five things that make pain management such a personal journey:
1. Pain’s Multidimensional Nature
At the top of the list is pain’s multidimensional nature. In other words, pain is not just a physical entity. We know that because pain can occur even in the absence of tissue damage. We also know that pain’s four dimensions are: physical, emotional, cognitive, and social.
All four dimensions are interrelated. Each one can affect the remaining three. Therefore, pain management differs from one patient to the next as the four dimensions dictate.
2. Individual Pain Experiences
Hand-in-hand with pain’s four dimensions is the individual pain experience. The best way to explain this is to discuss pain tolerance. Some people have a higher threshold for pain than others. What seems like minor pain to you could be excruciating to someone else.
Part of this perception is rooted in a person’s core being. But part of it is also the result of past experiences and perceptions. And of course, cultural and societal influences impact pain perception as well.
3. Pain’s Impact on Quality of Life
Pain tends to impact quality of life to some degree. The more severe and persistent pain is, the greater the impact. This matters in pain management because pain severity and quality of life are inverse in their relationship. But both are subject to individual experience and perception.
4. Psychological Factors
A person’s psychological response to pain can impact both physical feelings and emotional responses. Pain management doctors know this, which is why so many are beginning to introduce psychological treatments that coincide with pharmacology and physiotherapy.
Doctors must also account for individual motivation and catastrophizing. A person with very little motivation may be unwilling to participate in physiotherapy treatments. A person who takes a catastrophic view of their health may ultimately determine that no treatment can help.
5. Lifestyle and Environment
Finally, a patient’s lifestyle and environment are likely to influence the pain experience. As such, the clinicians at Utah-based KindlyMD are not afraid to recommend lifestyle changes as part of integrative care. They are not afraid to recommend changing one’s environment to get away from negative influences.
Still, the fact remains that environments and lifestyles can vary significantly from one patient to the next. Pain management specialists need to address each case on its own merits. They need to come up with individualized treatment plans that account for all five challenges described in this post.
When you put it all together, it becomes clear that there is not a blanket solution for managing pain. Merely writing a prescription doesn’t cut it. And because there are so many things in play, it often takes a while to figure out how to best treat a patient. Doctor and patient wind up taking a journey together, a journey that can take years to complete.
