Edited by Mary Jo Henry RN Patients who receive adequate pain treatment demonstrate positive changes in their overall health status. Many feel well enough physically and emotionally to carry on the activities they enjoy. Effective pain management throughout the course of the disease and its treatment is essential for allowing patients to remain capable of caring for themselves, and involved in normal daily activities, including relationships with family and friends. Reluctance to tell health professionals when they are in pain, fearing it will distract them from treating the disease, especially if the disease is cancer.
Patients mistakenly feel that pain is inevitable and untreatable.
Pain in fact can lead to depression and rejection of treatments, and inability to rally. The mistaken belief that pain management is too expensive and should be saved until the terminal stages of the disease. Uncontrolled pain is the second most common reason after fevers, for unscheduled hospital admissions through the emergency department. Along with moment to moment suffering pain has other serious consequences affecting the prognosis. Pain can affect activity, sleep and appetite.