Recently a relative of mine, Rose*, had a very painful episode of shingles, a serious skin rash from the chicken-pox family of viruses that can affect many elderly people. And being elderly, she had an old-fashioned “grin and bear it” attitude toward pain along with a fear of taking any drugs she thought might be addictive. As a result she suffered through traumatizing and debilitating bouts of what were described as “stabbing, sharp and burning pains” across the affected area that left her exhausted, depressed, and often in tears. A family member who was a nurse finally overcame Rose’s resistance to medication and took her to a pain management specialist who treated her rash with topical cream and her pain and depression with proper medication, followed by close monitoring and adjustments as necessary. Not only did her symptoms lessen to the point where she was able to return to normal activities within a week, but her shingles cleared up much more quickly than anticipated. Today Rose is educated on the wide-ranging benefits of proper pain management and aware of the importance it has toward the healing process.

Using web-based research tools:
While patients in need of pain management should always consult their primary care physician or in the case of cancer treatment, their oncologist for referral to a pain management specialist, there is a large library of information available to the researcher through a number of excellent online sources.

The American Pain Foundation website is one of the best web-based resources on all aspects of pain management and is a useful tool for those who need supplemental information or guidance toward treatment by the proper experts. The site is easily navigated and the resources both extensive and well-maintained by pain specialists. The section on cancer pain includes an information library, guides to finding help and support, Q&A about pain, useful links to both information and advocacy sites, and a collection of printable publications.

Print out and Discuss
APF Publications include a Pain Action Guide, Pain Notebook for tracking pain, and the Pain Care Bill of Rights in several different languages. There are resource sections on clinical research, listings of pain-related clinical trials, NIH studies relating to pain, and a database of New Medical Therapies Trial Results.

One of the useful links on this site include The National Pain Foundation, which provides an online pain diary and referrals to specialists. The importance of the impact of pain on the psychosocial health of a person is underscored in all of these materials as it tends to be an area that can be deeply affected by untreated pain.

The American Pain Foundation is committed to supporting the understanding and awareness that untreated pain can affect the quality of life physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. The site provides a well-researched gateway to a community of experts and advocacy groups and represents the best resources available on the net today.

*not her real name