Trauma Survivors Network - provided by ATS

Survive. Connect. Rebuild.

A Program of the ATS

Pain Management

A comprehensive pain management program uses a variety of methods to treat the biopsychosocial aspects of pain. By understanding how each area of your life affects your pain, you can make small changes that add up to a big improvement in the pain experience. Usually treatments progress from less invasive to more invasive. As the complexity of the pain and necessary therapy increase, it may be necessary to involve a pain specialist - most commonly an anesthesiologist. For example, whereas the trauma surgeon or your personal physician may be able to care for mild to moderate pain (e.g. fractured bones, post-operative pain), an anesthesiologist with specialty training in pain management may be needed in cases where patients have pain due to injury and also have a history of chronic pain. Furthermore, administration of pain medication via the epidural or spinal approach requires the expertise of an anesthesiologist both to place the spinal catheter and also to appropriately dose the prescribed medications.

Associated pages

Chronic
Acute/Subacute