If I have pain, how will it be managed?

Introduction

Pain is an experience that is totally individual and will depend on the type of illness, operation or injury that you have.

Not everyone who comes into hospital will experience pain, but if you do, it is important that we work with you to manage your pain, and make your stay in hospital as comfortable as possible.

Good pain relief helps you:

• feel better,
• move freely,
• breathe deeply and cough

These will help you to recover more quickly.

Information you need to tell us:

Please tell the doctors and nurses caring for you if:

• There are any pain relief medications you cannot take
• you have been taking pain relief medications for a long time, even if they are not related to your current admission
• you have had any unpleasant experiences with pain or pain-relieving methods in the past
• you are attending, or have attended in the past, a chronic pain clinic or service.

Why do we need to know this?

This information will help us to make a plan for the management of your pain. We will discuss the plan with you and you can ask any questions.

During your stay, the doctors and nurses will work with you to measure and manage your pain. They will ask you regularly about the level of pain you are experiencing.

A special scale has been developed to help you determine the amount of pain you are in. The illustration on the next page shows the scale. Should you have pain we would need you to rate the amount of it by using the faces, words or numbers. This information will help us choose the most suitable painkillers for you.

Some questions you might have:

What pain relief will I be offered?

There are many different ways of giving pain relief and you will be given information and a choice as part of your planned care. If there is anything you do not understand, or you want more information, please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff.

What about side-effects?

Sometimes pain relief medication can cause unwanted side-effects such as:

• sickness
• drowsiness
• constipation

Please tell your nurse or doctor if you experience any of these symptoms as they can often be easily treated. We may need to review and adjust your medication.

What can I do to help my pain?

Reducing anxiety by relaxation will help to ease any tension in your muscles. If you have any worries, please let the doctors and nurses know, as they may be able to help.

For further information on a particular form of pain relief you can ask your nurse to contact the doctor or pain service involved in your care (Acute Pain, Chronic Pain or Palliative Care Services)

Other sources of information on pain can be accessed through the following intranet sites:

The British Pain Society taster version (opens in a new tab)

The British Pain Society (opens in a new tab)

Action on pain (opens in a new tab)

Cancer and pain control (opens in a new tab)

Opioids and acute pain management (opens in a new tab)

Nb. Addenbrooke’s Hospital is not responsible for the content of external websites