Dr Rajesh Munglani
Consultant in Pain Medicine Vice President, British Pain Society
Everyone experiences pain differently; that’s why there are experts who can help them according to their pain management needs.
It is estimated that up to 15% of the UK population suffers from disabling pain, so you are not alone. If you go to the doctor with a cough, you expect him or her to listen and examine you and perhaps perform some investigations. The causes of a cough can be simple and treatable or, potentially, the sign of something serious.
Pain experiences and approaches
Pain is an evolutionary, protective sensation, which alerts us to possible harm. A simple back sprain may improve by itself or perhaps with some assistance from a physiotherapist. However, as pain becomes more persistent, a different approach is required; we then look for diagnosis and treatment. For some, the experience of chronic pain may itself become a problem because it becomes ingrained, and we then have to manage the chronic pain itself.
In addition to biological factors, psychological
and social factors play a part in the
causes and treatment of pain.
Factors that affect pain
In addition to biological factors, psychological and social factors play a part in the causes and treatment of pain. That is, pain can be generated just as much from inflamed soft tissue or an arthritic joint as from psychological distress. Importantly, these factors interact. For example, high levels of distress may make the experience of persistent pain worse.
Personalised pain management
The British Pain Society has long recognised that no single health professional has all the skills to manage pain. As a Society, we come from a variety of healthcare backgrounds and use a variety of approaches to assess and manage pain. In short, we work together to assess and manage pain because we recognise there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Pain is an individual experience, and treatment has to be tailored to the individual.
Unfortunately, for many people, pain cannot be cured — but that doesn’t mean something can’t be done. The presence of even severe pain alone does not determine how it will affect your quality of life. If you can’t cure the pain, then it may be managed; for instance, through medicines and other interventions, as well as physical and psychological therapy.
What all pain clinicians aim to do is understand the causes giving rise to pain for an individual. Clinicians can work collaboratively with them to reduce the impact of pain and improve their quality of life.