Pain Management

• Keeping your pain under control is important to your well-being. It will help you eat better, sleep better, move around more easily and visit with your family and friends.

• In order to help speed your recovery, we ask that you pay attention to your level of pain and use the pain scale below to report your pain.

• It is important to keep your pain out of the moder¬ate to severe range (4 and above), so do not wait until the pain is severe before you request relief.

• Staff will be asking, on a routine basis, about your pain.

• The nurses will give pain medication as soon as possible after your request.

• If your pain is not relieved by your medicine, or if you are having side effects, please tell your doctor or nurse so that something can be done to help you feel better.


Facts About Medication/Pain Medication

• Pain medications, when given with supervision, are safe and effective. Strong pain medications are rarely addictive when given in this manner.

• It is understood that pain or discomfort may be in¬tensified after operative procedures, certain activity levels, and during the healing process.

• You may be given pain medication prior to physical or occupational therapy to make that activity more tolerable and perhaps help speed your recovery.