Pain Management Questions
76 Question and Answer Results
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What would make my legs hurt to be gently rubbed?
If your legs hurt when they are touched or rubbed gently, you may have a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This condition causes gradual onset of numbness and/or tingling in your feet, which may spread upward to your legs. Symptoms include a "burning" or "electric shock"-like pain in the lower extremities, sometimes with extreme sensitivity to touch... -
What can be done for the pain and swelling associated with deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism?
An acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT)can be quite painful, but pain usually resolves once the clot has gone away and the swelling goes down. During this acute phase, pain medications can be used to reduce discomfort. -
What type of doctor can help with chronic pain?
Your husband's severe back and hip pain may be due to osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, or a disc problem in his back. Since he is not getting much help from cortisone injections, I think the next step would be to try and have your husband see a Pain Management Clinic... -
Is paranoia and confusion typical for someone who uses pain medication?
In my practice, which is in the nursing home, most of my patients are on strong pain medications. But, I have not run into the problem of patients thinking their medications are being stolen. In our facility, our medications are given at scheduled times, and we have a strict process where a licensed nurse is giving out medications and keeping track of them... -
What could be causing Mom's leg pain?
Unfortunately, your letter doesn't contain enough information for me to even try and give a diagnosis. However, Alzheimer's doesn't usually cause pain in the legs, so I think something else is going on. You do not say how far along your mother is in her Alzheimers, so I don't know how reliable her... -
What Pain Relievers Are Safe for Problem Drinkers or Those Who Drink Large Quantities of Alcohol?
No pain reliever is 100 percent safe for heavy drinkers. Which pain reliever a doctor recommends should depend on how much the person drinks and whether his or her liver is functioning normally. In general, for mild pain, the safest pain reliever for older adults is acetaminophen, or Tylenol... -
Can I Become Addicted to My Prescribed Opioid Pain Relievers?
If your doctor prescribed you an opioid pain reliever for pain, it's unlikely you need to worry unless you have a history of addiction issues. It's extremely rare for people who don't already have substance-abuse issues to become addicted to pain medication. -
Are Over-the-Counter Anti-inflammatory Pain Relievers Safe for Older Adults?
Ibuprofen (brand names Advil, Motrin) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be unsafe for many older adults, especially when taken daily. Geriatricians much prefer that older adults take acetaminophen (Tylenol), because it causes almost no side effects and only rarely interacts with other medications a person may be taking... -
Am I addicted to pain medication?
No, unless you have a history of substance abuse, having to increase the dosage of your pain medication doesn't mean you're becoming addicted. Doctors are usually careful to start people on pain medicines at low doses, with a plan to slowly increase the dosage as needed until, together, the doctor and patient find the right dose needed to control the pain... -
How can we help my mother with pain from a broken hip?
It is certainly best to get a personalized assessement from a physical therapist so she can talk to you about your mom's specific situation. Generally, therapists try to get patients up as much as possible (raising the head of the bed, spending time up in a chair etc)--this is helpful to their overall health and wellbeing... -
Can physical therapy help arthritis pain?
Yes! Yes! Yes! There is a lot that physical therapists can do to help alleviate and prevent exacerbation of pain from arthritis. In fact, as a geriatric physical therapist, this is one of the most common diagnoses that we see. I would highly recommend that your mother seek the advice of a physical therapist who specializes in geriatrics... -
What will help with mom's post-stroke pain?
Sorry to hear about your situation. I have a few thoughts: -
How can I get my grandmother with Alzheimer's to receive better pain management?
Pain management with Alzheimer’s disease-There is no reason why her pain should be left untreated. The symptoms she is beginning to show is typical for a person with poorly treated pain. Her doctors are correct and pain meds can affect her dementia/anxiety, but from a quality of life standpoint, t there should be proactive attempts to control her pain... -
How can I encourage my mom to be more active after a knee replacement?
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What can be done about my husband's ongoing stroke pain, and does it mean there's another one coming?
Head pain is not common during, or after, a stroke. When it occurs, it may be a sign of 1) bleeding, 2) a tear in one of the arteries, 3) a clot in one of the veins, 4) opening up of smaller arteries when one of the larger ones is occluded, or 4) a side effect of his medicine... -
What drug options do I have for arthritis?
Unfortunately, you have developed chronic pain from your trio of arthritis syndromes. Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) frequently causes pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips. This syndrome will often improve with the use of prednisone alone, so this is probably not what is causing alot of your pain at this point... -
How can pain be managed for a 90 year old woman?
In my experience, pain can be managed for anyone at any age, if the right modalities are used. I read your letter several times, and I understand that you are concerned about narcotic usage because you are worried about constipation and dizziness in a 90 year old woman... -
Can Alzheimer's patients express pain?
A person with Alzheimer's disease can feel and express pain non-verbally, by facial expression, breathing, vocalization and body posture. One of the scales to measure pain in non-communicative patients is looking at following symptoms: -
When the doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller, don't we need to worry about addiction?
No, at this point you don't need to worry about addiction. The concern about painkillers and addiction is actually one of the biggest myths about pain management when it comes to serious diseases like cancer. When someone is in serious pain, pain medication functions differently in the body than when someone who's not in pain takes it... -
Should I get a second opinion for ovarian cancer diagnosis?
Yes, get a second opinion, and don't delay. With your family's history, you'll want to be smart and act quickly.
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