[Pain. Headache. The therapeutic possibilities]

Pain is a disagreeable subjective sensation. It is an emotional experience, related to actual or potential damage of the tissues and is a phenomenon, which is perceived unconsciously. As a frequently encountered suffering, it has definite social and economic significance. According to the pathogenesis, the pain also could be somatogenic, neurogenic and psychogenic. It has different site of occurrence: somatic (internal or external) and visceral. It evolves acutely or chronically. Clinically it is expressed as headache--primary (migraine or of straining type) and secondary (symptom of a definite illness). The cause of the pain could be inflammation (of the teeth, back pain, distortion, etc.), elevated temperature, etc. The convulsive pains could be related to menstruation. The modern treatment of the pain is carried out with nonsteroid antiinflammatory agents, which possess marked to different degree analgetic, temperature lowering and antiinflammatory action (aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.). In pain and particularly in headache the preparation Tomapyrin tabl. (Boehringer Ingelheim) is effective, which contains 250 mg acetylsalicylic acid, 200 mg paracetamol and 50 mg coffein. The alkaloid coffein stimulates the CNS, strengthens the striated musculature and displays marked vasoactive effect. The redistribution of the blood mass explains its effect in migraine. For exerting influence upon the pain relaxation programs have been created, physical therapy and training for mastering the stress are carried out.