When you come to the VA for an exam, your healthcare
provider will check your five vital signs: blood
pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration, and pain.
You have the right to receive treatment for pain.
Treatment means relieving, controlling, and managing
your pain. You will be asked to rate your pain on
a scale from 0 to 10:
“0”
= no pain
“10” = worst pain imaginable
You will also be asked the following questions about
your pain:
-
Where is it?
-
When did it start?
-
How long has it lasted or does
it last?
-
What makes it better or worse?
-
Which medications have you tried?
Bring your list.
-
Have any treatments worked well?
Yes or no: tell your story.
There are different ways to
control or treat your pain. Some of these are:
-
Home remedies: heat, ice, elevation,
rest.
-
Stretching and exercise: physical
and occupational therapies.
-
Medication: the kind prescribed
depends on the type and degree of pain.
-
Invasive therapies: surgery,
blocks, and/or injections.
-
Non-invasive therapies: massage,
acupuncture, biofeedback, or TENS (transcutaneous
electrical nerve stimulation - a device that
uses electricity to block pain signals going
to the brain).
Here are some safety tips to
keep in mind when being treated for pain:
-
Give an accurate report of your
health history (high blood pressure, heart problems,
ulcers, kidney, liver problems, etc.).
-
Report any side effects to drugs
(allergies, reactions).
-
Report medicines you are now
taking. This includes prescriptions, over-the-counter
drugs, nutritional supplements, and herbal remedies.
-
Take medicines as prescribed.
When taking pain medication, check with your
provider first to see if it is all right to
drink alcohol or use other drugs that can make
you drowsy. Do not drive if your medicine makes
you drowsy.
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