Pain management

This chapter covers the theoretical and practical basis of managing patients with pain in the palliative setting. It includes a review of the common pharmacological, non-pharmacological and anaesthetic approaches to managing pain as well as emphasizing that all good care must be based on a holistic understanding. The concept of total pain has become a central tenet of palliative care practice. It recognizes that cancer pain is often a complex, chronic pain with multiple, coexisting causes. Effective management of cancer pain requires a multidisciplinary approach that addresses the patient’s concerns and fears, as well as treating the physical aspects of pain. As a result, the provision of analgesics should be combined with the provision of emotional, social, and spiritual supports.