What is pain and how do we stop it?
The following is a brief summary of pain and how to stop, or even better, to
prevent as much pain as possible in our pets.
It is important to remember that pain as a
“being” can be at times difficult to describe and varies for every
individual animal. It is first
necessary to understand what causes pain and how pain is transmitted and
“felt”. This summary will focus
primarily on the canine.
Pain, which is ANY unpleasant sensation has 2 main categories:
1) Acute - it has a sudden
onset. Examples: broken bone,
any surgical or dental procedure.
2) Chronic- it is on going pain.
Examples: cancer, ear infections, arthritis/ joint problems, nerve
injuries.
How is the pain “perceived” or felt?
A very simple example of how this works is the following: Remember all of
these events happen in a split second.
Let’s say your pet breaks its toe.
1) The painful stimuli, the break of the bone occurs.
2) The sensory nerve endings in the toe, and surrounding tissues “feel” or
“recognize” the pain.
3) The sensory nerves transmit the pain signal to the spinal cord.
4) The spinal cord then moves the pain signal to the brain.
5) The brain then perceives the pain.
6) The dog yelps and cries as the pain hurts.
Once a painful event has occurred, there are 2 main mechanisms to stop
it:
1) Natural, endogenous chemicals- such as the body’s own adrenaline and
other endorphins.
2) Exogenous chemicals or processes-such as opiods, nonsteroidials, massage,
ice or heat packs.
There are also different times to intervene to manage pain:
1) Avoid the painful stimuli completely- Example- don’t drop the blender on
your toe.
2) Give pain meds before a known painful event is to occur- Example- give
preoperative pain meds shortly before a surgery is to occur.
Also, insure a calm environment, reduce anxiety, give local nerve
blocks.
3) Give pain meds during a painful event- Examples- general anesthesia,
muscle relaxants, regional and local nerve blocks, maintain a sterile
environment, keep animal warm (warming blankets, towels).
4) Give pain meds after a painful event- Example-NSAIDS, opiods, ice or heat
therapy, physical therapy, wound care, and
provide a warm, quiet, padded crate.