Imagining Chronic Pain?

Reading the Huffington Post article this morning from the Umbrella post on Facebook, I was once more reminded of the inconsistent level of care that those with chronic pain experience. It is always a curiosity to me that over the many years of developing health care systems, we seem still to be in the boxes of established medical and nursing specialties. I use both disciplines because we work closely together - sort of. Clearly I can only speak to my own nursing experience and am often frustrated by a seeming lack of understanding about care behaviours needed outside of an accompanying diagnosis. Over fifty years I have worked in the nursing areas of geriatric psychiatry, long term care within acute hospitals, physical rehabilitation - both chronic and acute rehab, and for the past many years, in Detox in hospitals, a treatment centre and now a medical detox.

Those are my qualifications - no degree for the minutiae of chronic pain effects. My nursing diploma is from 1968. In all of that time, I have cared for many patients, with many different diagnosis. And every other nurse has as well. The diagnosis of chronic pain is frequently medicated and unless specifically ordered by the physician, seems to get little care for their chronic pain issues unless the nurses can provide it. What forms of care are needed? Body positioning, cold packs or heat packs to joints and/or muscles, back or shoulder massage (no longer done in many health care facilities), rest breaks, assisting the client to not isolate in their room or at home, nursing assessment of range of motion on all shifts, identifying mobility issues and community supports, raising or lowering the height of a walker when no physiotherapist is available. 

Chronic pain is just that - chronic. Ongoing. Nerve and muscle pain, with involvement of skeletal positions. When someone has had to carry chronic pain, and the cause, for many years, it can appear as though they are ‘just complaining’ about this invisible and daily onslaught. In health care there are forms and assessments for assessing pain. There are pharmaceuticals for pain control. These are only part of the care needed - and a small part at that. The rest of it is not one day at a time care, but often one minute or hour at a time. Those pieces of the puzzle can create an environment where not as many pharmaceuticals are necessary. Those pieces of the puzzle can allow a greater quality of life and care giving for those individuals struggling with chronic physical pain. For nurses, there is little time allowed to support the patient in their very real needs. 

“I often wished that more people understood the invisible side of things. 

Even the people who seemed to understand, didn’t really.”

~ Jennifer Starzec, Determination