Complexity of pain
July 21, 2016
MEDICINES alone are not the
most effective way to treat chronic
pain and that people managing
their pain on a daily basis get the
best results, according to a new fact
sheet issued by the Pharmacy Guild
of Australia and Painaustralia on
the eve of National Pain Week 25 –
31 Jul.
National
president of the
Guild, George
Tambassis,
said the reality
was that while
chronic pain
may never
be completely cured, it could be
managed and there were many
self-management strategies that
could help patients.
“Most of us experience pain from
time to time, but for 20 per cent of
people that pain simply doesn’t go
away,” Tambassis said.
“While medicines such as
codeine or other opioids are
sometimes prescribed for chronic
pain, research has shown they are
not effective in the longer term,
contributing on average to only a
30 per cent reduction in pain.”
People actively managing their
pain on a daily basis have less
disability than those using passive
therapies such as medication or
surgery, he explained.
Chief executive officer of
Painaustralia, Lesley Brydon
said it was important for people
suffering from chronic pain to learn
to manage their pain effectively
without relying on medicines.
“Pain medicines come with
unwanted side-effects such as
nausea, drowsiness, constipation,
mood change and difficulty in
concentrating,” she said.
“This joint fact sheet points out
a range of non-medicine measures
patients can adopt to help manage
chronic pain.”
The fact sheet is also available
on the Guild website and the
Painaustralia website.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Jul 16To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 21 Jul 16
