PAIN RELIEF GUIDE Tips and advice from your pharmacist.
Rite Aid Pharmacists:
Your Pain Relief Managers
Rite Aid is committed to providing everyday products and services that help
our valued customers lead healthier, happier lives. Our pharmacists are on
hand to talk with you about your health and medication concerns. We further support their efforts with free informational materials for our customers.
Rite Aid has developed this Pain Relief Guide in conjunction with the
American Pain Foundation.
The American Pain Foundation (APF) is an independent, nonprofit organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy and support. As Rite Aid continues its mission of ensuring that customers receive the kind of information and services that really make a difference, the American Pain Foundation has been an invaluable resource. The American Pain Foundation is dedicated to providing comprehensive information about pain and its management. Its contributions to the informati
on in this guide are not intended to imply endorsement. For more information on the foundation, visit
Pain Management At-A-Glance
More than 70 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and each year another 25 million experience acute pain from injuries or surgery. Although many different types of pain can be greatly eased with proper management, most goes untreated, under-treated or improperly treated. This guide is designed to help you learn about pain and understand the different
treatments available.
Pain Myths and Facts
The Myth:Pain is something you “just have to live with.”
The Facts:Treatments are available to lessen most pain. Left untreated, pain can worsen other health problems, slow recovery and interfere with healing. Get help right away. Don’t let anyone tell you your pain is “just in your head.”The Myth:All healthcare providers know how to treat pain.
The Facts:Not all healthcare providers can treat pain effectively. If your healthcare provider is unable to offer sufficient pain relief, ask him or her to refer you to a pain management specialist.
The Myth:Most healthy people go through life pain free.
The Facts:Everybody experiences some type of pain during a typical day. It could be the result of a headache, a cut, recurring pain from an old injury, or an illness such as arthritis. Different types of pain vary widely in severity. Individual tolerance for pain also fluctuates from person to person. When managing pain, it’s important to remember that zero pain is not a realistic goal.
The Myth:Most side effects from opioid pain medications are unbearable and never go away.
The Facts:Nausea, drowsiness, itching and most other side effects caused by morphine and similar opioid medications usually last only a few days. Constipation, the side effect that is most difficult to manage, can usually be relieved with laxatives, adequate fluid intake and attention to diet.
The Myth:Once pain starts, it will only get worse.
The Facts:If you act quickly when pain starts, you can often prevent it from getting worse. Take your medications when you first experience pain. If your pain does get worse, talk to your healthcare provid
er. Your provider may safely prescribe higher doses or change the prescription. Non-drug therapies, such as relaxation training, can also help give you relief.
How to Talk to Your Doctor About Pain
To get the best pain relief possible, it’s important that you communicate your pain effectively to your doctor. Here are a few tips that will help you and your
doctor manage your pain.
Tip: Write down your questions for the doctor or nurse before an appointment. Take notes at your visit. If possible, bring along a family
member or friend for support.
Getting to the Root of Your Pain
Pain may be the result of a health condition. Whenever possible, your healthcare provider should make every effort to treat the cause of your pain.
• If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may be prescribed drugs to treat
the arthritis itself because pain medicines will not prevent the disease
from damaging your joints.
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• If you have migraine headaches, there are medicines that can prevent
or reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, reducing the need
to use pain medications.
• If you have osteoporosis, your provider may recommend that you take
medications to strengthen your bones to help prevent fractures that
could result in pain and disability.
• Surgery also plays a critical role in pain control. Replacement of a
knee or hip may provide relief of pain and reduce or eliminate the
need for analgesics.
• If you have diabetes, it is important to control your blood sugar,
because that may prevent nerve and blood vessel damage that can
result in a variety of painful problems commonly seen with this disease. Diabetes and the Pain of Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a disease of the nervous system that can affect people with diabetes. It interferes with the body’s ability to communicate with its own muscles, skin, joints and internal organs. Diabetic neuro
pathy commonly affects the legs and feet. Primary symptoms are a tingling sensation, numbness, and/or pain.
There are a variety of ways to deal with the pain of diabetic neuropathy, but the best defense is getting and keeping your blood glucose within normal range. Be aware that as you do so, it is not uncommon to experience more tingling or pain at first.

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