Articles: pain-management-methods.
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The public and healthcare professionals have become increasingly aware and accepting of the benefit in physical, psychological, social, and spiritual support for patients with cancer. Patients with cancer often seek nonpharmacologic interventions to complement conventional care and decrease the pain associated with cancer and its treatment. Most often referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), these supportive therapies consist of a heterogeneous group of modalities used as adjuncts to allopathic health care. ⋯ This critical review of studies of biofield therapies emphasizes research using these modalities to decrease pain in patients with cancer. Although the therapies have demonstrated clinical efficacy, additional research is warranted. Oncology nurses should familiarize themselves with biofield therapies so they can offer informed recommendations to patients with cancer experiencing pain.
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Hospital practice (1995) · Feb 2012
ReviewAn update in options for the treatment of pain: a review of new opioid formulations.
In the past 2 decades, there has been a significant increase in the use of opioids for the management of chronic nonmalignant pain. This increase in usage has led to concerns of misuse and abuse of opioids. ⋯ In addition, alternative delivery systems have been developed to provide physicians with more options to provide adequate pain management for those with chronic pain. This article reviews new opioid options for the treatment of pain management and requirements of the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies program.
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Adjuvant analgesics (co-analgesics) are medications whose primary indication is the management of a medical condition with secondary effects of analgesia. Cancer pain is multifactorial and often involves inflammatory, nociceptive, and neuropathic pain subtypes. ⋯ When utilizing analgesic adjuvants in the treatment of cancer pain, providers must take into account the particular side effect profile of the medication. Ideally, adjuvant analgesics will be initiated at lower dosages and escalated as tolerated until efficacy or adverse effects are encountered.
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In the postoperative pain setting, the use of opioid analgesics remains essential in achieving effective analgesia and in avoiding the deleterious sequelae of uncontrolled pain that can worsen patient outcomes. However, postoperative pain remains undertreated in many patients. Choosing the most appropriate use of opioids in the postoperative setting, especially for patients undergoing ongoing opioid treatment for chronic pain, can pose daunting challenges for many clinicians. In this article, we examine the pitfalls that may be encountered when implementing postoperative pain management strategies with opioid analgesics, especially in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy prior to admission, and the critical steps for appropriate and effective analgesia in this setting.