The problem of pain

We have become a nation addicted to pain medicine. Somewhere down the line, we came across the notion that there should be no pain. People have decided that for every minor ache or pain, they must take a pill. Pain is there for a reason. It's the mechanism your body uses to tell you something isn't quite right. Pain isn't always bad. That soreness in your back? Maybe you need to rest. Maybe try a heating pad for 10 or 15 minutes. Maybe soak in a hot bath. And yes, maybe even take a pain pill.

The problem seemed to become much worse when the government decided that pain was a "vital sign". By definition, a vital sign is an objective measure of a physiologic process in life, like your heart rate or blood pressure. Objective meaning measurable and reproducible. But some do-gooder bureaurocrat decided pain should be measured just like your temperature. The problem is, you cannot measure pain. I've seen people with shattered ankles after a car wreck who rate their pain a 2-3 out of 10. They can't walk, but their pain is low. I've seen others who swear their migraine or back pain is a 12 out of 10, yet they sit comfortably on the exam table, hair and makeup perfect, clean shaven, takling to their buddies on their phones about going out for a beer after the game.

Here are some do's and don'ts about talking with your doctor about pain.

Do: tell the truth about what happened. Did you really trip and fall, or did you get pissed off and punch the wall?

Don't: use street terminology when asking for meds. "Hydros" "oxys" "percs", etc

Do: be polite. You might be surprised how far that goes.

Don't: expect to get more than a few days of short-acting pain pills from the ER or Urgent Care. They are not your primary care physician, no matter how often you show up at their door, and they will not prescribe your OxyContin, Soma or Morphine.

Do: get a primary care physician. A doctor that will get to know you well, understands your problems and long term needs. If you really need pain meds for more than a few days, they are much better options than hydrocodone or Percocet.

Don't: lie. I know, I kinda said that one already. But most states now keep records of pain prescriptions in online databases that the doctor can, and should check, before writing you a new prescription. The quickest way to get no pain meds is to not admit up front that your doctor wrote you 60 Tylenol #3s last week.