Listening: A Key Component Of Pain Management

Proper pain management starts with a thorough assessment of the issue at hand. To best decipher a patient’s true level of pain, a caregiver must start by thoroughly listening to the patient’s description of the pain that he or she is feeling.

Pain is such an important part of a medical diagnosis that, during their training, nurses are taught to view pain levels as the”fifth vital sign.” Patient pain levels can be measured with several techniques, including pictorial or numerical assessments. Even though there is such an emphasis on pain recognition in the medical community, the truth is that patients with repeated complaints are often ignored.

The first thing that should be remembered is that everybody’s pain tolerance is different, and each individual patient should be treated according to their own perception of pain. It is also possible that pain levels that are higher than those typically associated with a particular procedure or illness could be a harbinger of a more serious underlying condition. Additionally, pain can be both a cause and effect of depression.

If you are suffering from pain due to an accident, please contact us at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld P.A at 954-677-0155.