What Is Pain?

Understanding Your Body




Sometimes pain may be just a nuisance, like a mild headache. At other times, such as after an operation, pain that doesn't go away—even after you take pain medicine—may be a signal that there is a problem. If you have an operation, your nurses and doctors will ask you about your pain because they want you to be comfortable, but also because they want to know if something is wrong.

Be sure to tell your doctors and nurses when you have pain. They can help you to prevent or control pain so you can get well faster and improve your results after surgery.

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Current as of November 2007
Internet Citation: What Is Pain?: Understanding Your Body. November 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/prevention/understanding/bodysys/edbody11.html