Learning Objectives
- Identify the classifications and actions of medications related to pain and mobility
- Consider examples of when, how, and to whom pain and mobility medications may be administered
- Identify the side effects and special considerations associated with pain and mobility medication therapy
- Identify considerations and implications of using pain and mobility-related medications across the lifespan
- Consider evidence-based concepts when using the nursing process, clinical reasoning, and decision-making related to medications for pain and mobility
- Consider the impact of opioid analgesics on the overdose crisis and the responsibility of the nurse for client education, naloxone administration, and pain management advocacy
Key Terms
Complaints of pain are one of the most common reasons individuals seek out medical care. The pain signal indicates that something in the body is not quite right. Whether it be a headache, a broken bone, labor pain, chest pain, or other condition, pain assessment and treatment will become an important part of your daily work.
As a nurse, you will care for clients experiencing various types of pain manifestations and responses. It will be important for you to understand the various pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methods available for your clients.
Pain that usually starts suddenly and has a known cause, like an injury or surgery. It normally gets better as your body heals and lasts less than three months.
Drugs with a primary indication other than pain that have analgesic properties in some painful conditions. The group includes numerous drugs in diverse classes such as gabapentin (an anticonvulsant) or amitriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant).
Pain that lasts 6 months or more and can be caused by a disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, inflammation, or an unknown reason.
Occurs when the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system.
The use of illegal drugs and/or the use of prescription drugs in a manner other than as directed by a doctor, such as use in greater amounts, more often, or longer than told to take a drug or using someone else’s prescription.
Refers to purposeful physical movement, including gross simple movements, fine complex movements, and coordination; "State or quality of being mobile or movable."
Condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and can interfere with normal movement, speech, and gait. Spasticity is usually caused by damage to the portion of the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary movement.
Nerve endings that selectively respond to painful stimuli and send pain signals to the brain and spinal cord.
Treatments that do not involve medications, including physical treatments (e.g., exercise therapy, weight loss) and behavioral treatments (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy).
an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a type of pain management that lets the client decide when to get a dose of pain medicine (typically an opioid). To receive the opioid, the patient pushes a button on the PCA device, which releases a specific dose but also has a lockout mechanism to prevent an overdose.
Produced in nearly all cells and are part of the body’s way of dealing with injury and illness. Prostaglandins act as signals to control several different processes depending on the part of the body in which they are made. Prostaglandins are made at the sites of tissue damage or infection, where they cause inflammation, pain, and fever as part of the healing process.
A sense of spinning dizziness. It is a symptom of a range of conditions. It can happen when there is a problem with the inner ear, brain, or sensory nerve pathway.