Pain assessment: an interdisciplinary perspective

Pain is a very real problem affecting a large percentage of patients in home care settings. Pain has no mercy, and does not discriminate by age or condition. Although pain is often initiated by an organic condition (primary diagnosis), this trigger situation can produce multiple primary pain. Contrary to some common belief, medication or bed rest or reduction of physical activity is not always effective or indicated in some types of biomechanical pain, for example, neck, shoulder, low back, contractures. How people feel about themselves, how they see themselves fitting into the scheme of life as a purposeful and contributing member who has worth and value, has a powerful influence on how they perceive and manifest pain. When a person is allowed to work collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team in setting goals, compliance with treatment regimens is likely to be considerably higher. As health professionals we have a responsibility that we all take very seriously: to provide the best and most appropriate care for our patients. When working in collaboration with each other, this goal can be realized.