The only anti-inflammatory drug for over a half a century was Aspirin. Unfortunately, Aspirin causes many side effects when taken in large doses such as ulcers and bleeding in the intestines. Experts knew they had to discover another remedy to help pain sufferers. A medicine alternative called Paracetamol was discovered, but did nothing to take away pain. In 1948, Cortisone was discovered. It was considered a miracle until side effects developed from the drug. In 1980, Ibuprofen went over the counter and has become the most well-known anti-inflammatory. Pain relief has come along way through the years. It has not always been as easy as it is now to get rid of pain. Many people had to suffer because of having no solid pain relieving methods.
Pain Alleviation and Anesthesia in the 19th Century and Earlier
The earliest days of pain relief consisted of analgesic extracted from the bark and leaves of the mandrake plant in the 1st century. Before surgery, agents such as ethyl alcohol and opium were inhaled prior to surgery. In the period of the 9th -13th century, the soporific sponge was used to help pain. A combination liquid made of mandrake leaves, poppies, and herbs were boiled together and inserted in the sponge.
During the 16th century, laudanum was produced. Laudanum was produces from an opium derivative. It was used as an analgesic, but also was used for treating meningitis, cardiac diseases and different cases of tuberculosis. A man named Joseph Priestly discovered nitrous oxide in 1772 while experimenting with different gasses. The gas caused him to clearer while feeling lightheaded. After he inhaled it, it made him laugh. This is where the name “laughing gas” came from. Oliver Wendell Homes recommended the term...
... middle of paper ...
...s due to abuse. According to the DEA, close to 7 million Americans abuse prescriptions drugs.
Dealing With Pain – Information on how to deal with different levels of pain.
Welcome to Somatics – Information on how to deal with pain using Somatics.
Pain Relief Options During Childbirth – A list of modern options for pain relief in childbirth.
Diclofenac Gel Provides Modest Pain Relief for People with Osteoarthritis in One Knee – Information on a study of Diclofenac gel and how it helps osteoarthritis.
Pain Control: A Guide for People with Cancer and Their Families- An informative guide on different options of pain relief for cancer patients.
Methadone for Pain Relief- Information on how Methadone is used for pain relief.
Message Therapy Increasingly Sought For Pain Relief – Information explaining how massage therapy is used for pain relief.
In my opinion cancer patients can alternative pain management and higher dose of pain medicine so that they can have some comfort during their stage of dying.
Ferrell, B., Levy, M. H., & Paice, J. (2008). Managing pain from advanced cancer in the
Nitrous Oxide gas was first discovered by English scientist in 1772 and was first published about in 1776. Through his experiments he discovered Nitrous oxide's analgesic effects in 1800. From 1800 to 1840, Nitrous was primarily used for recreation at traveling public shows, but in 1844-1845 Nitrous was recognized as having some medical use in dentistry. In the late 1800's William James published some accounts of his work with Nitrous Oxide and called its effects of "some metaphysical significance". Nitrous has remained popular throughout the 20th Century and is sold over the counter in small cartridges ("whippets") for making whipped cream and in large tanks for industrial and medical purposes.
The United States of America accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, yet as a nation, we devour over 50% of the world’s pharmaceutical medication and around 80% of the world’s prescription narcotics (American Addict). The increasing demand for prescription medication in America has evoked a national health crisis in which the government and big business benefit at the expense of the American public.
Have you ever wondered why when you stub your toe on the chair in the living room, it helps tremendously to yell out an expletive or two and vigorously rub the area? I may not be able to discuss the basis for such language in this paper, but we will explore the analgesic response to rubbing that toe, in addition to the mechanism of pain and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Whenever pain or a headache is felt people will immediately reach for the bottle of Aspirin they have in their medicine cabinet. For many years this has been the solution to any pain a person feels. As much as Aspirin will help to cure symptoms of pain it may also being doing the body harm. More and more studies have brought many harmful side effects to the surface. The question now comes into play of if Aspirin is actually doing more harm than good.
Something is wrong with the focus on the "drug war" when 200,000 people die each year from prescription drugs, yet only 20,000 die from illegal drug use. Adverse reactions of prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death in America. In fact, people have a seven times greater chance of dying walking into their doctor's office than they do getting behind the wheel of their car! Every year approximately 200,000 souls die from prescription drug reactions with another 80,000 dying from medical malpractice (The International). Where is the FDA? Why do they continue to allow doctors to prescribe these drugs? How could they let it get to this point? What once was believed to be a panacia for depression has turned into Pandora's box (Tracy).
Pain is something most people want to get rid of. It would be shocking if a person would want pain or create their own pain. Sounds outrageous, right? The millions of Americans suffering with diseases and conditions, from chronic pain to cancer, all want their pain to simply disappear. But, most people are aware that some treatment options and pharmaceuticals don’t always work. As a result, they are forced to live with their conditions or diseases for long amounts of time, sometimes even leading to their death. Other times, treatment options and pharmaceuticals that don’t medically have any pain-relieving or curing effect do work. In turn, patients who suffered with cancer or post-tooth extraction pain are relieved with nothing but a
Touch is as essential to a healthy and happy life as eating right, getting proper sleep, and exercising. With the world growing more technological, the need for healthy human contact is more important than ever. Massage and body therapies are an age old healing refuge for us in this fast-paced, stressed-out world. The practice of massage therapy is rapidly growing in the United States. It has so much to offer and is becoming more widely accepted by doctors and the general public. Massage is touching another person by such movements as rubbing, kneading, pressing, rolling, slapping, and tapping. This type of therapy provides circulation of the blood and lymph, relaxation of muscles, relief from pain, restoration of metabolic balance, and many other benefits both physical and mental. There is much historical evidence to indicate that massage is one of the earliest remedies for pain relief and for the restoration of a healthy body. It is said to be the most natural and instinctive means of relieving pain and discomfort. Massage has proven to be an effective method for treating many conditions for thousands of years and it will continue to be used for thousands of years to come. Massage therapy is a great treatment for the body and soul.
In the late 1800’s it was discovered that papa-amino-phenol, could reduce fever, but the drug was too toxic to use. A less toxic extract called phenacetin was later found to be just as effective but also had pain-relieving properties. In 1949, it was learned that phenacetin was metabolized into an active but also less toxic drug, acetaminophen. Since then, acetaminophen has been sold under many over the counter brand names, most popular being Tylenol.
A feasibility study.” The purpose of this small controlled study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture at decreasing neuropathic pain and improving health-related quality of life. The author 's hypothesis was that acupuncture would significantly reduce pain in these types of patients. This study involved only twelve participants from a podiatry clinic dedicated to teaching students. All participants had to be over 18 years old, diagnosed with diabetes and have a history of diabetes-related neuropathic pain for at least 3 months. Participants in this study completed assessment surveys before and after they were given acupuncture. Acupuncture was given five times during a four-week period. The surveys assessed the participants’ belief in the effectiveness of acupuncture, their quality of life, and current pain level. This study concluded that acupuncture did help reduce neuropathic pain in all the participants but it was not statistically significant. The self-reported belief in acupuncture survey showed a statistical difference in belief of the effects of acupuncture before and after a course of the intervention. This might be because most of the participants in this study reported The quality of life survey assessed six domains and all showed improvement. Although the
Pain, which is defined in its widest sense as an emotion which is the opposite of pleasure (White, 2004, p.455), is one of the major symptoms of cancer, affecting a majority of sufferers at some point during their condition (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.8). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009, online) suggests that relief from pain may be achieved in more than 90 percent of patients; however, Fitzgibbon and Loeser (2010, p.190) stress that pain may often be undertreated, even in the UK. Foley and Abernathy (2008, p.2759) identify numerous barriers to effective pain management, among which are professional barriers such as inadequate knowledge of pain mechanisms, assessment and management strategies.
Lindley, P., Pestano, C. R., & Gargiulo, K. (2009). Comparison of postoperative pain management using two patient-controlled analgesia methods: Nursing perspective. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(7), 1370-1380. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.04991.x
The major concepts deduced from the hypothesis fall under three categories: (1) multimodal intervention, (2) attentive care, and (3) patient participation. Multimodal intervention includes the concepts of potent pain medication, pharmacological adjuvants, and non-pharmacological adjuvants. Attentive care relates to the assessment of pain and side effects and intervention along with reassessments. Patient participation includes goal setting and patient education. The resulting outcome of these three categories working together is the balance between analgesia and side effects.