Learning About Making a Plan for Managing Chronic Pain
How can you plan for managing your pain?
You and your doctor will work to make your plan. Your plan can include more than one type of pain control. You may take prescription or over-the-counter drugs. You can also use physical treatments, like massage and acupuncture. Other things can help too, such as meditation or a type of counselling to change how you think about your pain.
It's important to let your doctor know how your pain is affecting your life. The goal of a pain management plan isn't to totally get rid of pain. Instead, the goal is to control the pain enough so that daily activities are easier.
If your pain isn't controlled well enough, talk with your doctor. You may need to make a new plan. Or your doctor may refer you to a specialist.
Sample pain management plan
Here is an example of a pain management plan. You can work with your doctor to complete it.
- My Goals
Example: "Control pain long enough to walk the dog each day" or "Reduce or stop taking pain medicines by the end of summer."
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- My Non-Medicine Strategies
Example: "Complete my physiotherapy exercises each day" or "Do yoga twice a week."
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- My Medicines That Help With Pain
Include prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
- Medicine: ______________________
- How much to take: ______________________________
- How often to take it: ______________________________
- Other instructions: ______________________________
- Medicine: ______________________
- How much to take: ______________________________
- How often to take it: ______________________________
- Other instructions: ______________________________
- My Next Steps
If I'm not meeting my goals, my doctor recommends:
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter P490 in the search box to learn more about "Learning About Making a Plan for Managing Chronic Pain".
Current as of: July 10, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.