| Acetaminophen
|
An over-the-counter, non-aspirin medication
that relieves pain and reduces fever. |
| Acetylsalicylic acid
(ASA) |
The chemical name for aspirin. |
| Acute pain |
Severe pain that has a sudden onset, but lasts
a short time. |
| Addiction |
A psychological or physical dependence on a
medication. |
| Adjuvant medicine
|
Medicine that has another primary purpose, but
may, in some cases, relieve pain. |
| Analgesic |
A medication or agent that relieves pain. |
| Anesthetic |
An agent that causes total or partial loss of
physical sensation. |
| Aspirin |
An over-the-counter medication that relives
pain and reduces inflammation and/or fever. |
| Breakthrough pain
|
Pain that occurs even though the patient is
being medicated. |
| Chronic pain |
Pain that is constant, and lasts a long time.
|
| Corticosteroid
|
An anti-inflammatory drug created from or based
on a naturally-occurring hormone produced by the cortex of the
adrenal glands. |
| Deep brain stimulation
|
A pain control method using electrodes implanted
in the brain and controlled by the patient. |
| Epidural medication
|
A medication that is injected into the spinal
column. |
| General anesthesia
|
A state of unconsciousness induced by a medication
that eliminates pain perception. |
| Immediate-release medication
|
A medication that takes effect in a short period
of time. |
| Infusion |
A method of administering medication into a
vein. |
| Intramuscular (IM) injection
|
Injection of medication into a muscle. |
| Intrathecal (IT) injection
|
Injection of medication into the sheath surrounding
the spinal cord. |
| Intravenous (IV) injection
|
Injection of medication into a vein. |
| Local anesthetic
|
A medication that blocks electrical signals
in the nerves, and eliminates pain in a specific part of the
body. |
| Long-acting or sustained
release medication |
A medication that acts for long periods of time
and is taken on a regular basis. |
| Narcotic |
A medication that produces pain relief by depressing
the central nervous system. (See opioids.) |
| Nerve block |
Injection of a medication directly into the
nerve or spine for pain control. |
| Neuropathic pain
|
Pain, usually arising from nerve damage, that
is burning, shooting, or numbing. |
| Non-opioid |
A medication that does not contain an opioid.
Many of these medications are available over-the-counter, and
do not require a prescription, i.e., acetaminophen, aspirin,
and ibuprofen. |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) |
A medication used to reduce inflammation that
is not corticosteroid-based, i.e., aspirin and ibuprofen. |
| Opioid |
A medication that requires a prescription and
provides strong pain relief, i.e., morphine, hydromorphone,
oxycodone, and codeine. More
on opioids. |
| Oral medication
|
A medication taken by mouth. |
| Pain scale |
A system of rating pain, often based on a scale
of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst imaginable
pain. |
| Pain threshold
|
The point at which pain is noticeable. |
| Pain tolerance level
|
The peak amount of pain that a person can endure.
|
| Patient-controlled analgesis
(PCA) |
A method of pain control that allows the patient
to control the amount and timing of the medication they receive
by pressing a button on a computerized pump. |
| Physical dependence
|
The physical condition in which rapid discontinuation
of a drug causes a withdrawal reaction. |
| Rescue medicine
|
A medication used to control breakthrough pain.
|
| Side effect |
An unwanted change produced by medication or
other treatment, ranging from minor to serious. |
| Subcutaneous (SQ) injection
|
Injection of medication just under the skin.
|
| Titrate |
To adjust the dosage of medication necessary
to control pain. |
| Tolerance |
The point at which a patient adapts to a specific
drug, so that larger amounts of the present medication or a
new medication is needed to achieve the same results. |
| Topical agent
|
A medication that is applied to the skin rather
than ingested or injected, usually a cream or a gel. |
| Visceral pain
|
Pain, usually arising from the internal organs,
that feels like squeezing, cramping, or pressure. |
| Withdrawal |
The physical or psychological state experienced
when certain medications are discontinued rapidly. |
