Pain Management
The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force released its final report on acute and chronic pain management best practices, [PDF - 5.7 MB] calling for a balanced, individualized, patient-centered approach to care.
Meeting the Needs of Chronic Pain Patients
Meeting the needs of patients struggling with chronic pain while at the same time preventing the illegal or harmful use of opioids are two important challenges prescribers face. This website provides basic information for clinicians to consider when creating patient-centric chronic pain management treatment plans.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is defined as persistent pain, which can be either continuous or recurrent and of sufficient duration and intensity to adversely affect a patient's well-being, level of function, and quality of life. Chronic pain is persistent, typically 3 months or more, and exists beyond an expected time for healing. The cause of pain may not be removable or otherwise treated. It may occur despite generally accepted medical treatment.
Supporting Patients Affected by Heroin, Opioids and Chronic Pain
The IHS HOPE Committee has developed an infographic that focuses on five key strategies [PDF - 496 KB] to increase access to safe and effective long-term chronic pain treatments, improve access to culturally appropriate care, and reduce overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioid misuse.
Recommendations for Management of Acute Dental Pain [PDF - 767 KB] - from IHS's Division of Oral Health (DOH) and National Committee on Heroin, Opioid and Pain Efforts (HOPE)
What Are Opioids?
Throughout the site, we refer to opioids, which are natural or synthetic derivatives of opium that act on the central nervous system to relieve pain. The term "opioid" is used to distinguish pain medications from illegal narcotics used to induce euphoria.
If you decide to use some of the information from this site, make sure you understand and consider the following:
NOTICE
Appropriately prescribing opioid medications and managing chronic pain are critically important within the Indian Health Service. In May 2023, the IHS released the revised agency policy on Chronic Pain Management.
The information available on this site is intended for licensed health care professionals and adult patients. However, this site is not a substitute for clinical judgment and does not offer medical advice. Patients should consult their physicians or, in serious cases, contact emergency services. Health care professionals should confirm information available on this site with other sources.
Use of this site is at the user’s risk, and information is provided on an “as is” basis. There is no warranty or guarantee for the information provided on this site.
