Treating Patients with Pain Essay

Ideally, treatment is most effective when started early; upon which the condition can enter remission and possibly total management (Schott, 2001). Case Summary In the presented case, a 43 -year-old white male presents to the clinic with a chief complaint of pain. The condition is severe to the point that his motion is with the assistance of a set of crutches. The pain is reported by the client to have started after a fall seven years ago. There have been several diagnostic tests performed, some of which affirm damage some cartilage surrounding his right hip. However, the drug is associated with the onset of suicidal thoughts, given that it works the same way as antipsychotic drugs. Neurontin, on the other hand, is mostly applied for control and treatment of seizures (Häuser, Petzke, & Sommer, 2010).

While it is applicable for the management of neuropathic pain, it is associated with side effects such as sleepiness and drowsiness that the client says made him use prior medications sparingly. These two alternative choices are also effective in higher doses, thus may not offer a good initial response. Expected Outcome Against Treatment Outcome With the treatment plan set in motion, it is overly expected that the pain will be adequately relieved, and the number of occurrences of the pain would also reduce within a day (Perez, Kwakkel, Zuurmond, & de Lange, 2001). However, the dosage is to be increased to 125mg at bedtime. This is towards the target 200mg daily maximum dosage. This is to increase the effects of the drug at higher concentrations further.

Also, so as to reduce the feelings of "grogginess," the client is to take the medication one hour earlier before bedtime, and he is to call the clinic after three days to report how he feels in the morning (Carter et al. Reduction of the dosage to 75mg at bedtime daily, while may help with the alleviation of the ‘groggy’ feeling in the morning, the overall effect on the pain may not be sufficient for the patient. He is able to walk longer stretches without the aid of crutches and reports that within a month, he has experienced cramping only twice. These results match with the expected outcomes. However, the client reports that he is worried about his weight gain associated with the medication.

He has gained 5 pounds. Decision 3 With the success seen with the use of the drug choice, it is recommended that the dosage be maintained at 125mg per day. There is insufficient information on the predictability of interactions of medications with different people. Further, patient counseling should be integral to the treatment process as this can improve outcomes. However, most practitioners leave this aspect out of the treatment plan. Conclusion From the preceding case, diagnosis and treatment of patients with pain can be challenging. However, it emerges that some medications require consistency and progressive increase of dosage for maximum benefit to be realized. L. Side effects of commonly prescribed analgesic medications.  Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics, 25(2), 457-470. Häuser, W. , Petzke, F.