Acute Medicine | Palliative care | Principles of pain management

Principles of pain management
Session overview
Description
This session covers the essential principles of pain management that together provide a framework for a comprehensive pain management strategy.

This session was reviewed by Jo Elverson and last updated in September 2022.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• recognise that pain management requires a holistic and flexible approach, and is not based on managing physical pain alone
• discuss the common principles of acute pain management
• integrate the principles into a pain management plan using a case study example
• assess your confidence in putting the principles of pain management into practice

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

• Assessment of pain (215-0407)

Pain is never a purely physical experience.

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as:

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

Pain is always a personal experience that is influenced to varying degrees by biological, psychological, and social factors. Although pain usually serves an adaptive role, it may have adverse effects on function and social and psychological well-being.

This session aims to discuss the need for a holistic, flexible approach to the management of pain and explore ways in which this can be implemented.