Supported by
Roadmap for managing pain
PURPOSE
Roadmap for managing pain encourages discussion of pain related to bleeding disorders.
This guide will demonstrate different routes to take to obtain some comfort and relief.
1. The impact of pain on the FAMILY
2. Pain - The FIFTH VITAL SIGN
3. The role of the COMPREHENSIVE CARE TEAM in pain management
4. ADVOCATING for better pain management
5. The use of ANALGESICS
6. PHYSIOTHERAPY – another approach to pain management
7. ORTHOPEDIC and SURGICAL management of pain
8. COMPLEMENTARY and ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES to pain management
OVERVIEW
THE IMPACT OF PAIN ON THE FAMILY
IMPACT ON THE FAMILY…
FOR MANY YEARS, PAIN HAS FOR MANY YEARS, PAIN HAS BEEN SEEN AS AN BEEN SEEN AS AN UNAVOIDABLE PART OF THE UNAVOIDABLE PART OF THE CONDITION—SOMETHING TO CONDITION—SOMETHING TO BE SUFFERED, OFTEN ALONE BE SUFFERED, OFTEN ALONE AND IN SILENCE. AND IN SILENCE.
missing school or work;
missing out on social and family activities;
feelings of futility and hopelessness.
IN THE LONGER TERM, IN THE LONGER TERM, INEFFECTIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT INEFFECTIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT MAY LEAD TO:MAY LEAD TO:
IMPACT ON THE FAMILY…
THE IMPACT OF PAIN ON THE FAMILY
IMPACT ON THE FAMILY…
THE IMPACT OF PAIN ON THE FAMILY
Pain is an almost invisible presence.Pain is an almost invisible presence.
Yet it casts a net beyond the person who is directly affected.
Pain is never suffered alone.
Family members are always aware of the suffering, although limited in their resources to deal with it.
Yet it casts a net beyond the person who is directly affected.
Pain is never suffered alone.
Family members are always aware of the suffering, although limited in their resources to deal with it.
THE IMPACT OF PAIN ON THE FAMILY
Families in the bleeding disorder community have developed ways of dealing with the condition by…
educating themselves about their particular situations;
being open in working with the members of thecomprehensive care teams;
learning to do home treatments;
developing internal strength;
being creative in dealing with problems;
maintaining a sense of hope for the future.
IMPACT ON THE FAMILY
PAIN – THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN
FIFTH VITAL SIGN…
WHAT IS PAIN?WHAT IS PAIN?
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with
actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such
damage.”
“I experience pain daily. It can be mild or severe. It can be relentless.
It can sometimes be unpredictable. I associate my pain with an
imaginary companion I like to call the dragon. This dragon travels with
me all day, every day.”
PAIN – THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN
FIFTH VITAL SIGN…
Pain in hemophilia is usually of two types:
CHRONIC PAIN is associated with joint degeneration or other long-term complications of hemophilia.
ACUTE PAIN is usually due to bleeding into joints and muscles and, more rarely, the after-effects of surgery.
PAIN – THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN
FIFTH VITAL SIGN…
Pain is always subjective it is the person with pain who
decides if there is pain or not and always unpleasant.
It is an emotional experience.
When pain becomes chronic, the actual injury, and even the
physiological responses, may not be visible…
PAIN – THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN
FIFTH VITAL SIGN
Recognizing pain as the fifth vital sign puts assessment at the forefront,
and allows the patient and family to create an alliance with the health
care providers against suffering.
All modalities of pain management
physical, pharmacological and psychological
should be part of the therapeutic plan, if beneficial.
THE ROLE OF THE COMPREHENSIVECARE TEAM IN PAIN MANAGEMENT
COMPREHENSIVE CARE TEAM
All of the COMPREHENSIVE CARE TEAM members are involved in the assessment and management of pain:
the nurse coordinator the hematologist the physiotherapist the social worker the rheumatology and orthopedic teams
ADVOCACY FOR BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT
ADVOCACY...ADVOCACY...
ADVOCACY…
is a process of promoting a cause on behalf of oneself and/or others
can help you communicate competently in a calm, yet assertive way
allows you to work with health care providers to develop an effective pain management plan.
You are your own best advocate but, depending on the situation,the role of advocate can be played by almost anyone:
a family member—spouse, parent or sibling—or close friend
a member of the multidisciplinary team at the HTC, including the nurse, the physiotherapist or the social worker.
ADVOCACY FOR BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT
ADVOCACY…
“My physician told me she never realized how much pain people with hemophilia
had until she went to a CHS workshop on pain management. She couldn’t believe
how well her patients hid the pain.”
– a 50-year-old man with hemophilia
Take a buddy.
Prepare ahead.
Be knowledgeable.
Be proactive.
Speak up! Be assertive.
Listen.
Stay calm.
Repeat yourself if necessary.
Be polite and courteous, yet firm.
Focus on the problem, not the people.
Use "I-statements" not "you-statements." ADVOCACY
ADVOCACY FOR BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES:EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES:
ANALGESICS…
THE USE OF ANALGESICS
Most patients with acute pain can obtain relief with the careful use of common drugs such as…
acetaminophen (Tylenol®), or
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as COX-2 inhibitor, Celebrex®, which have less effect on platelet function than ibuprofen.
The addition of opioids, such as morphine, can increase the control of severe pain, depending on the individual patient.
If oral medication is ineffective, intravenous (IV) therapy is an option. Opioids can be given by IV bolus, or by continuous administration for even more control.
THE USE OF ANALGESICS
Concerns with opioids…Concerns with opioids…
addiction abuse tolerance
MarijuanaMarijuana is probably better to reduce nausea, improve appetite and promote sleeping than to reduce pain.
Its use must be individualized.
For most patients it is not the magic drug.
Legal access to marijuana is difficult.
Poorly treated pain is detrimental to patients!
ANALGESICS
PHYSIOTHERAPY…
PHYSIOTHERAPY -ANOTHER APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
muscle strength
joint range of motion
flexibility
coordination and balance
AN EXERCISE OR FITNESS PROGRAM IMPROVES…AN EXERCISE OR FITNESS PROGRAM IMPROVES…
confidence and peer acceptance
feelings of well-being / decreased anxiety
release of endorphins
endurance and weight loss
functional independence
PHYSIOTHERAPY…
A physiotherapist at the HTC can assess the pain and assist in choosing an exercise or activity program to help reduce pain.
Non-electrical treatments such as hot packs, ice, hydrotherapy, splinting, foot orthotics and acupuncture
Electrical modalities such as TranscutaneousElectrical Nerve Stimulation (T.E.N.S.)
PHYSIOTHERAPY -ANOTHER APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
PHYSIOTHERAPY
Recommended activities for people who suffer from the pain of arthritis related to hemophilia are those that have low impact on the joint but allow mobility, strengthening and cardiovascular exercise.
swimming and aquacise
Tai Chi
yoga
cycling
walking, dancing, bowling and hiking
A PERSON WITH A TARGET ANKLE MIGHT MAKE DIFFERENT CHOICES THAN SOMEONE WITH A TARGET ELBOW.
PHYSIOTHERAPY -ANOTHER APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT…
SYNOVECTOMYSYNOVECTOMY
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF PAIN
Removal of the swollen synovium can decrease recurrent bleeding into a target joint and reduce pain.
radioactive synovectomy
arthroscopic synovectomy
open synovectomy
radioactive synovectomy
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT…
JOINT REPLACEMENTSJOINT REPLACEMENTS
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF PAIN
The damaged joint and adjacent bone are removed and replaced with plastic and metal components (knee) or with a metal ball and a plastic cup (hip).
OTHER SURGERIESOTHER SURGERIES
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF PAIN
Removal of small bony growths around the joint margins (cheilectomy)
Fusion of the joint to leave a painless immobile joint (arthrodesis)
Removal of the radial head to improve rotation of the forearm
Removal of the ball part of the femur to allow a fibrous union to develop. This may be done if a hip replacement fails
Removal of a wedge of bone from the femur or tibia to realign the leg and reduce pain (osteotomy)
ORTHOPEDIC AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT
“Ultimately, the operations—replacements and fusions—were godsends and did relieve the pain. I
do not run or skate and I avoid stairs like the plague, but my wife and I play golf—I still have a
slice—and I am able to enjoy travel and visit family and friends.”
– a 43-year-old man with hemophilia
COMPLEMENTARY | ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES…
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVEAPPROACHES TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
A complementary therapy is used TOGETHER with conventional medicine.
Alternative medicine is used IN PLACE OF conventional medicine.
COMPLEMENTARY | ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES…
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVEAPPROACHES TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
While there is scientific evidence supporting some Complementary and Alternative Health Care (CAHC) therapies, for most there remain unanswered questions regarding safety and efficacy.
CAHC therapies can be divided into five categories, or domains:
alternative medical systems (homeopathy, naturopathy…)
mind-body interventions (meditation, biofeedback…)
biologically-based therapies (herbs, vitamins…)
manipulative and body-based methods (chiropractic, ostheopathy…)
energy therapies (Reiki, qi gong…)
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVEAPPROACHES TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
To protect yourself from potential risks involved when using CAHC therapies, be sure to…
discuss all of your CAHC practices with your physician and other health care providers
gather information from sources that look at both the pros and cons of a therapy
consult publications and web sites that stem from governments, recognized medical organizations, well-known scientific sources or academic institutions
be cautious about any of the claims that you come across
seek out only fully competent and licensed practitioners
COMPLEMENTARY | ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The CHS would like to acknowledge those people who contributedto the development of Roadmap for managing pain.JENNY AIKENHEAD, PTAlberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, AB
MAUREEN BROWNLOW, RSWIWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS (retired)
CLARE CECCHININational Program Manager, Canadian Hemophilia Society (retired)
NANCY DOWER, MDWalter Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB
SOPHIA GOCAN, RNMember, CHS National Program Committee, Ottawa, ON
ANN HARRINGTON, RNSt. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON (retired)
HEATHER JARMANPharmacist, St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, ON
D. WILLIAM C. JOHNSTON, BMedSC, MD, FRCS(C)Orthopedic Surgeon and Site Medical Director of the University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, AB
PETER LEUNG, MDPain Management Service, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON
DAVID PAGENational Executive Director, Canadian Hemophilia Society
KAREN STRIKE, PTHamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Hamilton, ON
PAM WILTON, RNPast-President, Canadian Hemophilia Society
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