Orthopedics
Pain Control (PCA's)
Pain can keep patients from sleeping, being active, eating and enjoying family and friends. It can also make them feel scared, depressed or anxious. It can happen suddenly (acute pain), like that experienced after surgery, or continuously over a long period of time (chronic pain).

Pain is a complex problem and St. Rita's recognizes the importance of managing pain. St. Rita's Medical Center offers a comprehensive approach to the delivery of pain management services. The acute and chronic nature of pain requires an approach that incorporates many different services geared toward providing relief to our patients.

Evaluating Pain
Patients experiencing pain will be frequently monitored by their nurse and/or physician. Patients will be asked to describe their pain in words noting: the intensity (sharp, stabbing, dull or achy), location, duration, what alleviates their pain and any aggravating factors.

Patients will also to be asked to rate their pain on a scale of zero to ten (zero meaning no pain at all and ten meaning the worst pain imaginable). This helps caregivers know if pain management techniques are helping.

Methods of Pain Management
The process of managing pain begins with defining the pain: the type, nature, cause and what makes it worse or better. Management includes appropriate medication and non-medication interventions, educating yourself, family and all caregivers. The decision of what type of pain control to be used should be made by the patient and their physician.

Methods of Delivering Pain Medication include:

  • Orally (By Mouth)
  • Intravenously (Into a Vein)
  • Injections
  • Intrathecal and Epidural Analgesia (Into the Fluid Around Your Spine)
  • Transmucosal (Between Gum and Cheek)
  • Transdermal Patches (Applied to the Skin)
  • Rectal

Non-medication Methods include:

  • Medical Acupuncture*
  • Electrical Nerve Stimulation*
  • Relaxation / Biofeedback*
  • Massage Therapy
  • Heat and cold application
  • Guided Imagery
  • Music Therapy
  • Music for Relaxation
* Requires a physician's referral
Acute Pain
The pain experienced after surgery is a type of acute pain. In order to prepare patients to manage their post-operative pain, nurses will instruct patients about pain management before surgery. One method of pain management is patient controlled analgesia pumps (PCA). These IV (intravenous) devices allow patients to self-administer very small doses of pain medicine at a push of a button. Instead of ringing for the nurse when pain medication is needed, patients push the PCA button. PCA pumps accurately and precisely guard the amounts of pain medicine delivered. Patients will feel comfortable and secure about the pain medicine they receive.

Chronic Pain
Chronic pain management requires more advanced pain management techniques and an individualized program to meet the problem.

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