Find A Physician


While you are a patient at the hospital you may experience discomfort or pain. It may be due to disease, surgery or a procedure. We are committed to working with you and your family to help you manage your pain and keep you as comfortable as possible. You can help by telling us about your pain and by working with us to develop a treatment plan that is best for you. The following information will help you prepare and understand how we work together to manage your pain and get you back to health.
Understanding Pain Management
What is Pain?
Pain is an unpleasant personal experience that is affected by many different factors including; your physical condition, past experiences, and emotions. You may not describe pain in the same way as another person with the same condition. Pain is whatever you say it is!

What is Pain Management?
Pain management helps you to be more comfortable and may aid in improved, faster healing. Pain can affect your activity level, appetite, sleep, energy and relationships. Complete absence of discomfort is rare, however, pain control should allow you to be comfortable resting and at a minimal activity level. Increases in pain can be expected with increased activity such as, physical therapy, walking, turning, etc. Our staff will assist you to anticipate medication needs prior to such activity.

Tell Us About Your Pain
One of the most important things you can do is tell us about your pain. Only you know when you are in pain, how it feels and what degree your pain is. Telling us about your pain helps us provide you with better care, please do not feel like you are “bothering” us or complaining. You are a partner in your care.
You can further help us by clearly describing your pain, this helps your care providers select the best treatment for your pain management.

Following are some expressive words that may help describe your pain: achy, throbbing, shooting, itching, sharp, squeezing, tingling, stabbing, crushing, pulsing, and pressing.
Please indicate the location of your pain by pointing or touching the body part.
Help us understand how much pain you are experiencing by using the pain scale: 0 = no pain and 10 = unbearable pain.








Frequently Asked Questions About Pain Management
Q: I have a fear of strong pain medications and worry about addiction.
A: Pain medications help you feel more comfortable which is important to the healing process. When you have less pain you move more comfortably and breathe more deeply making treatments and therapy easier. Your physician will adjust and monitor your pain medication usage to assure appropriate dosage and avoid any possibility of addiction.

Q: I am worried about side effects such as nausea, drowsiness and constipation.
A: Occasionally patients do have problems with side effects from pain medications. We can help you by using other medications to relieve these side effects such as providing laxatives for constipation. We also encourage you to eat something before taking your medications which can significantly reduce nausea.

Q: I really do not want to bother the staff and complain about my pain.
A: Good pain control allows for faster, improved healing and helps you be more involved in your treatment decisions. The more we can help you with your pain management the better quality of healthcare we provide you. Discussing your pain control is never a bother, please do not hesitate to talk to the staff at any time.