Pain Management and Opioids Guide for Consumers
Understand Pain
What Kind of Pain Do You Have?
Talk with Your Doctor about Pain
Self-Care for Pain Management
Understand Opioids
A Pain Medication
Side Effects and Risks
How to Store and Dispose
Have you had an injury or are you preparing for surgery? Recovery will be different for everyone, but some pain can be expected. Find out about your pain management options by talking to your doctor.
Questions to ask about pain
- How long will I be in pain after my injury or surgery?
- What options are available for treating my pain?
- Could any of these treatment options cause a bad reaction with other medications I take?
If you and your doctor decide that an opioid pain medication is the best treatment option, ask the following questions:
- What are the risks and side effects of taking opioid medications?
- Are there over-the-counter medicine (like Advil) I can take as an alternative?
- How many days should I take the opioid medication?
- If I feel better can I stop taking the medication?
- I am pregnant. Should I take pain medication?
Remember your pain should be controlled enough so you can walk to the bathroom, sit in a chair and cough. You shouldn’t be so medicated that you can’t remember things. Here are some tips to help you talk to your doctor about how you are feeling.
Where does it hurt?
Be specific. Let the doctor know it’s not just your, “back” when it’s your “lower back and sometimes down your legs.” If your pain moves around, tell your doctor all areas that can be painful and the areas that hurt most often.
Body chart. Print out this body chart so you can circle your pain areas and share with your doctor. (1-page PDF)
What kind of pain are you feeling?
Most of the time, people experience one or two pain “feelings.” Sometimes a range of sensations are experienced. The most common pain types are:
- Sharp stabbing pain
- Extreme heat or burning sensation
- Extreme cold
- Throbbing, swollen, inflamed tissue
- Sensitivity to contact / touching
- Numbness, tingling, pins and needles What is Your Pain Level? Everyone feels pain differently so it’s important to explain to your doctor how the pain feels to you. Sometimes a pain scale, like the one below, can help you explain the intensity of your pain.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Mild to moderate pain | Moderately strong | Severe pain | |||||||
| Sometimes mild pain is noticeable and distracting, however, you can get used to it and adapt. | Moderately strong pain that may interfere with normal activities. It could be difficult to concentrate. You can’t ignore the pain for more than a few minutes. | Severe pain dominates your senses and significantly limits your ability to perform normal daily activities or maintain social relationships. Interferes with sleep. | |||||||
How long are you in pain?
Give the doctor more detail than saying you’re “always” in pain, or “sometimes” in pain. Try something like: “I always feel some aching pain in this spot, but its worse in the early mornings and that lasts about an hour.” Think about your pain and answer these questions:
- Do you feel worse when you first wake up and are stiff, or does the pain seem to worsen as the day wears on?
- Do you notice a sharp pain when getting dressed in the morning that goes away after 10 minutes?
- Does the pain last for a few hours or does it feel better after you take a nap?
- Does your pain keep you from doing things you want to do?
Does anything else trigger your pain?
- Think about the pain in relation to the timing of medications: Does the pain get worse or better right after you take certain medications, or does it not seem to be related to meds at all?
- Does your pain get worse when you are doing certain activities such as going up and down stairs, grocery shopping, vacuuming, etc.
- Is the pain brought on when clothes touch your body or when someone hugs you? Or does it just appear out of nowhere?
- Is the pain worsened by stress – like after you opened bills?
- Do you see a connection with being around different people and the pain feeling worse or better?
- Think about other times when your pain seems to be worse or better.
Pain relievers you can buy at the store
Pain may be managed successfully with non-opioid medications. Talk to your doctor about these options and see what is right for you. Below is a list of common over the counter pain relievers that are not opioids. These medications might help you manage your pain.
| Acetaminophen | Ibuprofen | Naproxen | Aspirin |
| Tylenol | Advil, Motrin | Aleve, Naprosyn | Aspirin |
At times, mild pain may be managed without medications. Some pain may be managed with self-care, such as those listed below.