Dealing With Chronic Pain Effectively
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than six months. For people who face the challenges of chronic pain, education is vital. This includes informing caregivers of the effects and symptoms as well as patients informing themselves and taking an active role in managing and understanding what they can do to alleviate symptoms. This also implies patients can take control and work towards a manageable on-going treatment programme.
It’s equally important to find a health care provider that you can trust and relate to. Be sure to check in regularly and be honest with your doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist – they are there to help you. Your health care provider can provide you with proper education and collaboration to ensure you are given the appropriate treatment while preventing the abuse of pain medication.
How to Enhance Pain Management Among Patients
An effective way of resolving the challenges of patients who experience chronic pain is basing communication on the VEMA model.
– The “V” in VEMA stands for validation and it refers to proper validation of pain diagnosis and patient experiences.
– This should be followed by pain education (E) that is based on relevant safety guidelines, best practices and realistic expectations.
– Patients also require motivation (M) to ensure that they remain actively engaged in treatment and related processes.
– Activation is the last VEMA model element and it refers to collaborative (both patient and pain care provider) goal setting that gives the patient some level of control in developing an action plan.