PCA or Patient Controlled Analgesia allows the patient to control how much and how often he or she receives intravenous pain medication. After surgery, when the patient has pain, he pushes a button to receive pain medication. The pump is calibrated to give a certain amount of medication within a certain time period if the patient pushes the button. With this method the patient can get pain medication as often as he or she feels uncomfortable. With a PCA pump, the patient no longer has to call for pain medication and then wait for the nurse to deliver it.
Patients are usually more comfortable and use less pain medication overall.
These methods may be used individually or in conjunction with other pain control methods. You may discuss plans for your pain control after surgery with your surgeon or anesthesiologist. Pain Management Anesthesiologists also specialize in treatment of acute and chronic pain disorders. There are many types of acute and chronic pain disorders as well as many treatment regimens. A very common treatment for back and leg pain or neck and arm pain caused by herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or similar disorders is called an Epidural Steroid Injection .