Pain Control

Referring to the management of pain through either pharmacological (e.g., drugs such as opioids) or nonpharmacological interventions (e.g., physical therapy or psychological interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy), pain control aims at the alleviation of pain sensations or the raising of the threshold of pain perception so the individual is able to function better and enjoy an improved quality of life.

Pain itself can be either acute (a relatively brief sensation, usually a response to a specific trauma, and lasting less than six months in duration) or chronic (lasting more than six months, beyond the time for normal organic healing and usually beginning to impair other functions). Worldwide, one in five people report chronic pain, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates. Accounting for 80 percent of ...