Since illness or injury may result in pain, your healthcare team strives to effectively manage your pain and when possible, prevent pain. You are the expert on your own pain. In order to determine the best plan to treat your pain, the team will rely on you to provide complete and accurate information about your pain. Answering questions like the following can help describe your pain:

• Where is the pain?
• What does the pain feel like?
• How bad is the pain?
• What makes the pain better or worse?

Studies have shown that after an operation, good pain control results in fewer complications, faster healing and shorter hospital stays.

Last Updated: 6/11/2009