Stop enduring pain and taking medicine randomly! Remember these key points about pain medication

The National Health Commission held a press conference today to introduce seasonal solar terms and health. "There is no need for special treatment for pain, just tolerate it" and "There is no pain in old age." Are these statements correct? Fan Bifa, chief physician of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said that these statements are incorrect and that strengthening daily health management can prevent chronic pain.

In daily life, avoid sitting, standing and bowing your head for long periods of time. Insist on moderate exercise, enhance muscle strength, and pay attention to the balance between work and rest. For pain that has already occurred, pay attention to the location, duration and changes of the pain. Do not just tolerate it, and do not blindly massage, apply hot compress or self-medication.

If you have sudden severe pain or are accompanied by danger signs, you should see the emergency department as soon as possible. If you experience sudden severe chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, or pain accompanied by difficulty breathing, cold sweat, limb weakness, or abnormal consciousness, you should seek medical treatment immediately and call 120 if necessary. If the elderly experience "pain when moving but not when moving" after a fall, they should be checked as soon as possible to rule out injuries such as fractures. They should not take it lightly just because they can still move.

Persistent and recurring pain requires specialized evaluation and treatment. Pain that lasts or recurs for more than 3 months is usually called chronic pain, but you don’t have to wait 3 months to see a doctor. As long as the pain persists, worsens gradually, or affects sleep, work, and life, you should seek medical attention in time. Long-term pain tolerance may make the nervous system more sensitive to pain, creating a cycle of pain, insomnia, and poor mood that interact with each other. Although some diseases have improved, the pain may persist. For example, after the herpes zoster subsides, neuralgia may still remain. Long-term pain in the elderly may also lead to reduced activity and decreased muscle strength, which requires active intervention.

Choose a department according to your condition. For stubborn pain, you can go to the pain department. When the cause of the disease is clear, you can first go to the relevant specialists, such as orthopedics for trauma and joint problems, and neurology for recurring headaches. If the primary disease has been controlled but the pain still persists, or the cause is unknown after multiple specialist examinations, conventional treatments are ineffective, and drug side effects are intolerable, you can go to the pain department for further evaluation. Do not take long-term or excessive use of painkillers on your own.

Treat pain medication rationally and don’t refuse treatment for fear of “addiction”

At the press conference, Fan Bifa, chief physician of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, also said that everyone should look at the issue of pain medication objectively and rationally, and should not refuse drug treatment for fear of "addiction".

Improper use of commonly used analgesics such as ibuprofen and celecoxib may cause gastrointestinal, renal or cardiovascular adverse reactions, but they are generally not addictive;

Opioids such as morphine and fentanyl have the risk of addiction. They must be used according to doctor's instructions and evaluated regularly. They cannot increase the dosage on their own or stop suddenly.

Some medicines have different names but may have the same ingredients. Do not add similar analgesics on your own. Cold medicines may also contain antipyretic and analgesic ingredients. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking the medicine.

Pain that has an unknown cause and continues to get worse should be investigated promptly, and repeated use of painkillers should not be relied upon to delay medical treatment.

It is recommended that pain patients bring a medication list with them when seeing a doctor, and it is best to learn to describe several characteristics of pain. Many elderly people suffer from various chronic diseases. When seeing a doctor, they can list the drugs they are using such as antihypertensive drugs, antihyperglycemic drugs, anticoagulants, etc., indicate the dosage and frequency of taking, and inform them of the history of drug allergies and gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, write down in advance where and how it hurts, such as a pinprick or burning sensation, how long the pain lasts, when it gets worse or less severe, and the impact on sleep, mood, and activities. Pain can be described on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the most severe pain imaginable. At the same time, bring the test results and explain the treatment of the original disease, which painkillers were used, how effective they were, and whether there were any adverse reactions.

I would like to remind everyone that there are currently many treatments for pain. Doctors will choose drugs, nerve blocks, minimally invasive treatments or rehabilitation training according to the condition. Sports rehabilitation should be carried out step by step according to the assessment results. After treatment, follow-up visits should be carried out on time to provide feedback on pain, mobility and drug response, and the plan should be adjusted in a timely manner.