Inpatient Pain Management Services
In addition to outpatient pain services, Scottsdale Healthcare offers an inpatient pain management service to help patients with pain while hospitalized.
This service is provided by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and pharmacists who are board certified in pain management. Their goal is to minimize acute pain due to surgery, trauma or other medical conditions.
Committed to the compassionate understanding of patients in pain and the scientific assessment and treatment of pain-related disorders, Scottsdale Healthcare’s inpatient pain management team keeps abreast of new developments in pain management.
Who may need the most advanced pain management?
- Patients experiencing acute pain
- Patients with low pain thresholds
- Patients already suffering from chronic pain
- Patients with cancer
Why is it important to reduce pain?
- Better pain control may reduce the likelihood of nausea or vomiting after surgery and speed recovery by reducing stress on the immune system.
- Pain management reduces the likelihood of an unexpected hospital readmission.
- Fewer physical therapy visits may be required.
- Blocking pain before it becomes overwhelming helps manage subsequent pain intensity and reduces the need for pain medications.
How is surgical pain managed?
- Pain is managed using a variety of methods, often in combination.
- Patients are told in advance what to expect after surgery. Informed patients cope better postoperatively.
- Regional anesthesia and nerve blocks with local anesthetic result in faster recovery, healthier outcomes, less postoperative pain and quicker return to work. In most hospitals, fewer than 20 percent of patients receive these treatments.
- Other ways to treat pain are with trigger point injections, implantable pumps and oral medication.
- Adjunct pain management techniques can include biofeedback, music, relaxation, guided imagery, massage and physical therapy.
What should you know about pain management?
- Pain management is a medical specialty.
- Pain doctors, nurses and pharmacists are crucial links on the pain management team.
- Hospitals that provide a pain service offer the greatest opportunity for pain relief because highly trained pain specialists can respond quickly to your needs.
- Some patients respond better to some drugs than others.
- Pain management can be individually tailored for every patient.
- Careful dose adjustment can minimize medication side effects.
- Severe pain is not normal. It can be managed.
What should you ask prior to surgery?
- What kind of pain can I expect after surgery?
- What kind of pain relief will your doctor order?
- What is your doctor’s and the hospital’s philosophy of pain management?
- Does the hospital have a pain service and director of pain management?
- When I am discharged, will there be clear written instructions on how to manage my pain at home?
Please feel free to contact the Pain Service Team if we can be of assistance.
Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center - 480-882-7246
Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center - 480-323-7246
Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital - 480-882-7246