Most people don’t feel like they are gaining anything when suffering from pain – but it is one of the ways for the body to tell you when something is wrong or if you need to take a break from certain activities.
Whether your pain is head, back, muscle or post-surgery related, your local pharmacist is trained to help manage your pain and stocks a range of products that support a better quality of life.1 Before you decide on a pain management method, speak with your pharmacist to get the best option for you.
Talk about pain with your pharmacist
Talking to your pharmacist about your pain can help them recommend the most effective pain relief option available to you. Here are some questions that your pharmacist may ask you:
- Where is the pain located and what type of pain is it?
- What activities improve and worsen your pain?
- How does the pain impact your lifestyle, does it affect the quality of your sleep or day-to-day activities?
- Do you have other medical conditions or take other medicines?
How your pharmacist can help you manage pain
- Provide lifestyle advice and information on pain
- Recommend ways to help relieve and manage your pain
- Help you manage side effects of your pain medicines
- Review your medicines to make sure they are appropriate to take together with your treatment for pain
- Identify any persistent pain risks
- Refer you to an appropriate healthcare professional, if required
Better Health Channel. Pain and pain management – adults. Available from
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pain-and-pain-management-adults (accessed March 2019).
