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Treatments For Pain

Methods By Which Pain Medications Enter The Body

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Most pain medications are provided using one of the following methods. If a particular method is difficult for you, it is likely the drug comes in another form with a different delivery method. If there is no choice currently available, an alternative means of drug delivery can be made by a compounder. (To learn more, see Compounding.)

Oral: (by mouth)

Most pain medications are taken by mouth. Oral medications include tablets, capsules and liquids.

Creams / Lotions

Medications in the form of a crème or lotion are rubbed on to the skin for absorption by the body. Creams and lotions are most often used to treat surface or muscle pain.

Rectal Suppositories

Suppositories are inserted into the rectum, where they dissolve and are absorbed by the body.

Suppositories may be recommended if you have difficulty swallowing pills, or are unable to keep down medication because of nausea and vomiting, or if the drug could be particularly harmful to the stomach.

A rectal suppository may not be your best choice if you are suffering from diarrhea, rectal pain, or find it difficult to administer the suppository.

Transdermal Patches

A transdermal patch is a patch with pain medication that sticks to your skin. The pain medication is absorbed through the skin over a period of time.

Injections

Often referred to as "shots," injections use a needle to administer medication directly into the body.

Injections can be given using several methods, including administration under the skin, in a muscle, or directly into a blood vein (IV).

Nerve Blocks are used to inject pain medicine directly around a nerve or into the spine to block pain.

If injections are a problem, these days morphine doesn't have to be given by injection. There's oral morphine, and long-acting preparations of morphine which can be given every 12 hours, or opiate skin patches which can be applied every 72 hours.

Patient-controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump

A PCS pump that is connected to a small tube in the body operates continuously, dispensing frequent small doses of pain-relieving medication 24 hours a day. If more medication is needed for a flare-up of pain, the patient pushes a button to temporarily increase the dose for immediate relief.


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