Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 S. Lincoln Ave. Recent work has shown beneficial aspects of pain control for animals. Adequate pain therapy speeds up recovery and return to normal function.
Pain starts in peripheral tissue when receptors are stimulated at the site of injury.
The pain response travels through the nervous system, up the spinal cord to the cortex of the brain. Drugs and therapies can be used to control pain at any point along this pathway. Research has found that pain control given before your pet experiences pain can prevent wind up. Pre-emptive pain treatment also decreases the total amount of pain medication needed, decreasing the associated side effects. For example, following chest surgery, one of the benefits of pre-surgery pain control is easier breathing, because taking deep breaths is not as painful.