Every attempt is made to control pain after surgery to make it possible for you to move about quickly and become active. This helps avoid problems and speeds recovery. Often several drugs are used together to help manage your post-surgery pain. While you are still in the hospital, a Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA), which allows you to give yourself a dose of pain medicine on demand, may be used by your physician.

Pain is a very individualized experience for each patient. In general, the sternum is a relatively dull area of the body, having few nerve endings. Most patients who have had a standard open chest approach often complain of aching around the sternal incision and generalized discomfort that centers between the shoulder blades after surgery. Pain medication is readily available and patients are encouraged to take it as needed.

There is a section on dealing with pain at http://www.cancer-pain.org/. Some general recommendations are: You may wish to post on news:alt.support.chronic-pain or news:alt.support.chronic.pain and seek advice. Breakthrough pain can be treated with Actiq, which, is developed specifically to help manage BTCP. See http://www.actiq.com/patients/aboutactiq/default.asp (Commercial site)

No, most people are comfortable after the procedure and usually an over-the-counter preparation such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen is all that is necessary to alleviate any discomfort that may occur. Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activity for the first five days following seed implant.

One possibility is to see a pain specialist. A certified pain doctor will perform a thorough examination to determine the exact cause of your pain and may recommend therapies such as acupuncture, trigger point injections, over the counter medications, or prescription medications. Unfortunately, neuropathic pain - pain caused by damage to a nerve - can be very difficult to treat. Anti-seizure drugs, like Neurontin, work for some people but can have strong side effects.

No. Don't wait until pain becomes severe to take pain medication. Pain is easier to control when it is mild. You should take your pain medication regularly, just as prescribed. Sometimes this means taking medicine on a regular schedule.

Pain during your period is called dysmenorrhea, and it is extremely common. It is usually associated with cycles that release an egg (ovulatory cycles). When young women first start to get their periods, they may not release an egg every month so their periods may not be as painful. When your period starts (menstruation), chemicals called prostaglandins are released which cause your uterus to contract.

Postoperative pain control is an important focus for us at Hospital for Special Surgery. Your anesthesiologist plays an essential role in planning and maintaining your comfort during and after your surgery. Surgery in general and orthopedic surgery specifically results in postoperative pain. In order to eliminate all pain after surgery would require complete anesthesia, which would prevent you from recovering and rehabilitating.

Most women do have cramps during the procedure, and sometimes they can get bad, but most abortions take only five minutes and the cramps do begin to go away shortly afterwards. Many clinics offer a variety of pain control, from just a local anesthetic that would numb the cervix alone, to IV sedation in which she is in a twilight sleep, to full general anesthesia. Each method of pain control has advantages and disadvantages. Ask your provider which methods of pain control they offer.