Pain can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute pain is defined as short-term pain or pain with an easily identifiable cause. Acute pain is the body's warning of present damage to tissue or disease. It is often fast and sharp followed by aching pain. Acute pain is centralized in one area before becoming somewhat spread out. This type of pain responds well to medications. Chronic pain was originally defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer. It is now defined as pain that persists long ...

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Types of pain

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Physiology

Despite its unpleasantness, pain is an important part of the existence of humans and other animals; in fact, it is vital to survival. Pain encourages an organism to disengage from the noxious stimulus associated with the pain. Preliminary pain can serve to indicate that an injury is imminent, such as the ache from a soon-to-be-broken bone. Pain may also promote the healing process, since most organisms will protect an injured region in order to avoid further pain. People born with congenital insensitivity to pain usually have short life spans, and suffer numerous ailments such as broken ...

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Survival benefit

Pain is an unpleasant sensation which may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage and which may have physical and emotional components. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), one should distinguish between pain and nociception. The term "pain" is a subjective experience that typically accompanies nociception, but can also arise without any stimulus. It includes the emotional response. Nociception, on the other hand, is a neurophysiological term and denotes specific activity in nerv ...

Including:

Pain - Types of pain Pain - Physiology
Pain - Pain receptors Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system Pain - Analgesia
Pain - Survival benefit Pain - Children and pain Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia - Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensation which may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage and which may have physical and emotional components. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), one should distinguish between pain and nociception. The term "pain" is a subjective experience that typically accompanies nociception, but can also arise without any stimulus. It includes the emotional response. Nociception, on the other hand, is a neurophysiological term and denotes specific activity in nerv ...

Including:

Pain - Types of pain Pain - Physiology
Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system Pain - Analgesia
Pain - Survival benefit Pain - Children and pain Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia - Pain

Epidural drug infusion can change the perception for pain and sensation. Epidural analgesia is similar to epidural anesthesia but uses lower concentrations of local anesthetic drugs to remove most, but not necessarily all, pain. Therefore, epidural analgesia causes less muscle weakness, or paralysis, than epidural anesthesia. It is possible to continue epidural analgesia for several weeks, although there is an increasing risk of infection if the catheter is ...

See also:

Epidural, Epidural - Epidural anesthesia, Epidural - Technique, Epidural - Side effects, Epidural - Complications, Epidural - Contraindications, Epidural - Epidural analgesia, Epidural - Epidural in childbirth, Epidural - Epidural Steroid Injection

Read more here: » Epidural: Encyclopedia II - Epidural - Epidural analgesia

Epidural analgesia is a safe and effective method of relieving pain in labor. It provides immediate pain relief, and unlike opioid injections, does not cross the placenta into the fetus. Epidural analgesia is associated with longer labor. Some claim that it is correlated with an increased chance of operational intervention. The clinical research data on this topic is conflicting. For example, a recent study in Australia (Roberts, Tracy, Peat, 2000) demonstrated that having an epidural reduced the woman's chances of having a vaginal birth, wi ...

See also:

Epidural, Epidural - Epidural anesthesia, Epidural - Technique, Epidural - Side effects, Epidural - Complications, Epidural - Contraindications, Epidural - Epidural analgesia, Epidural - Epidural in childbirth, Epidural - Epidural Steroid Injection

Read more here: » Epidural: Encyclopedia II - Epidural - Epidural in childbirth

An analgesic (colloquially known as painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain and to achieve analgesia. This derives from Greek an-, "without", and -algia, "pain". Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous system; they include paracetamol (acetaminophen), the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, narcotic drugs such as morphine, synthetic drugs with narcotic properties such as tramadol, and various others. So ...

Including:

Analgesic - Stepwise use Analgesic - The major classes
Analgesic - Paracetamol and NSAIDs Analgesic - Opiates and morphinomimetics Analgesic - Specific agents
Analgesic - Specific forms and uses
Analgesic - Combinations Analgesic - Topical or systemic Analgesic - Psychotropic agents
Analgesic - Addiction Analgesic - Reference

Read more here: » Analgesic: Encyclopedia - Analgesic

Studies on humans are revealing the neural mechanisms of placebo effects. Some of the best research is in the area of pain research. People can be conditioned to expect analgesia in certain situations. When those conditions are provided to the patient, the brain responds by generating a pattern of neural activity that produces objectively quantifiable analgesia. Evans (2004) argues that the placebo effect works through a suppression of the acute phase response, and as a result does not work in medical conditions that do not feature th ...

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Placebo effect, Placebo effect - Placebo-controlled studies, Placebo effect - Notable placebo effect absences, Placebo effect - Placebo and pain, Placebo effect - Placebo and depression, Placebo effect - Objective or subjective effects?, Placebo effect - Confounders mistaken for placebo effect

Read more here: » Placebo effect: Encyclopedia II - Placebo effect - Placebo and pain

Today, fentanyls are extensively used for anesthesia and analgesia. Duragesic, by Janssen Pharmaceutica, is a fentanyl transdermal patch used in chronic pain management. In the past few years, this compound has gone generic and is available for lower cost. Duragesic is manufactured in four patch sizes. They are 25 μg/h, 50 μg/h, 75 μg/h, and 100 μg/h. Dosage is based on the size of the patch, since the transdermal absorption rat ...

See also:

Fentanyl, Fentanyl - Analogues, Fentanyl - Therapeutic use, Fentanyl - Illicit use

Read more here: » Fentanyl: Encyclopedia II - Fentanyl - Therapeutic use

Analgesic - Combinations. Analgesics are frequently used in combination, such as the paracetamol and codeine preparations found in many non-prescription pain relievers. They can also be found in combination with vasoconstrictor drugs such as pseudoephedrine for sinus-related preparations, or with antihistamine drugs for allergy sufferers. Analgesic - Topical or systemic. Topical analgesia is generally recommended to avoid systemic side-effects. Painful joints, for example, may ...

See also:

Analgesic, Analgesic - Stepwise use, Analgesic - The major classes, Analgesic - Paracetamol and NSAIDs, Analgesic - Opiates and morphinomimetics, Analgesic - Specific agents, Analgesic - Specific forms and uses, Analgesic - Combinations, Analgesic - Topical or systemic, Analgesic - Psychotropic agents, Analgesic - Addiction, Analgesic - Reference

Read more here: » Analgesic: Encyclopedia II - Analgesic - Specific forms and uses

Buprenorphine is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, peri-operative analgesia, and opioid dependence. It has a longer duration of action than morphine, and sublingual tablets offer an analgesic effect for 6 to 8 hours. (Joint Formulary Committee, 2004) Australian guidelines recommend against the use of buprenorphine as an analgesic because: its effect is not reversed by naloxone, it may precipitate withdrawal symptoms in people dependent on other opioids, and it may cause dependence itself and has potential for misuse. (R ...

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Buprenorphine, Buprenorphine - Commercial preparations, Buprenorphine - Pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, Buprenorphine - Clinical use, Buprenorphine - Antidepressant, Buprenorphine - Adverse effects, Buprenorphine - Dependence treatment, Buprenorphine - Buprenorphine vs. methadone, Buprenorphine - Inpatient rehabilitation

Read more here: » Buprenorphine: Encyclopedia II - Buprenorphine - Clinical use

Attacks are self-limiting, and require analgesia and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as diclofenac). Since the 1970s, colchicine, a drug otherwise mainly used in gout, has been shown to decrease attack frequency in FMF patients. The exact way in which colchicine suppresses attacks is unclear. While this agent is not without side-effects (such as abdominal pain and muscle pains), it may markedly improve quality of life in patients. The dosage is typically 1-2 mg a day. Development of amyloidosis is delayed with colchicine treatme ...

See also:

Familial Mediterranean fever, Familial Mediterranean fever - Clinical symptoms, Familial Mediterranean fever - Attacks, Familial Mediterranean fever - Complications, Familial Mediterranean fever - Diagnosis, Familial Mediterranean fever - Disease mechanism, Familial Mediterranean fever - Pathophysiology, Familial Mediterranean fever - Genetics, Familial Mediterranean fever - Treatment, Familial Mediterranean fever - History

Read more here: » Familial Mediterranean fever: Encyclopedia II - Familial Mediterranean fever - Treatment

auricular analgesia (auricular analgesic acupuncture, auricular acupuncture analgesia): Form of Chinese auricular therapy whose apparent design is to alleviate pain in fully conscious patients.

(See also: Auricular analgesia, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Definition and meaning of analgesia:

analgesia - the absence of pain in response to stimulation that would normally be painful

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

Also see these pages: Oceanography, Oceanography Sitemap, Coral Reef, Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change,

acupuncture anesthesia (acupuncture analgesia, acupuncture assisted anesthesia, anesthetic acupuncture): Use of acupuncture to relieve pain during surgery wherein the patient is conscious, either in conjunction with or instead of analgesics or chemical anesthetics. It was introduced in 1958 in the People's Republic of China.

(See also: Acupuncture anesthesia, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)