Pain an unwelcome companion
Chronic wounds are usually accompanied by wound pain, which can be further increased by contact or temperature changes. The aim of integrated wound treatment must be to determine your individual pain perception and treat it so that the pain becomes bearable for you. Pain control can be achieved with the help of analgesics as recommended and prescribed by your physician. However, effective wound cleansing leads to the prevention of wound infections, along with less frequent dressing changes with modern wound dressings. These factors contribute to an improved quality of life.
For successful pain treatment, the following features should be defined:
- Where: in the wound, wound margin or outside it?
- How: burning, throbbing, stabbing or hard to define?
- When does it occur?
- How long does it last?
- Is it particularly severe in certain situations: dressing changes, wound cleansing or certain body positions?
- Does it influence your ordinary life: sleep, body movement, appetite?