Pain Managment for the Obstetric Patient

Pain management for the obstetric patient
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Introduction
Pain is an unpleasant experience that has the potential to cause tissue damage and is manifested through emotional and sensory experiences. As such, pain therapy is recommended to relieve pain and increase comfort through pharmacological and non pharmacologic management strategies. Experiences of pain are not the same and individual tolerance to pain as well as coping techniques have a direct impact on how people deal with the experience. Women in labor experience pain in different forms and a single pain reliving method can be used, but one can also rely on multiple pain management strategies. As such, understanding the sources of pain for the antepartum patient, intrapartum patient is important. This essay will also highlight on the pain management strategies for intrapartum patient and the risks and benefits for each strategy. It will also focus on a teaching plan intrapartum patient to facilitate pain management.
PART 1
Sources of pain for the antepartum patient, intrapartum patient, and postpartum patient
Obstetric disorders are some of the major causes of pain for antepartum patient, intrapartum patient, and postpartum patients. However, back pain can often affect women because of hormonal, mechanical psychosocial as well as circulatory factors. Changes in the pelvic region causes back pain during and after child birth, and this may persist, given that the pelvic as well as lumbar region may also be affected following back pain (Beckmann, 2010). However, in postpartum the pain tends to diminish, but if not managed properly it can persist. Even though, back pain can occur at any time, for antepartum patient, intrapartum patients the risk is higher, even for those with no prior history of back pain before the pregnancy.
Pelvic pressure is another source of pain that typically occurs at the third trimester, but expecting women can also experience the pressure anytime during the pregnancy. The growing baby pump puts pressure on the pelvic area, affecting the bones, muscles and joints in the area. Even though, it may appear normal, if the pelvic pain persists the patients should consult the obstetrician. Other functional sources are also closely related to pelvic pressure, and hence the patient should be advised on the best lying positions during pregnancy labor and postpartum.
Pharmacologic and non pharmacologic pain management measures
Pharmacologic
Medical management of pain should ideally be at a minimal level, and use of non pharmacological therapies should also be used. Non- opioid drugs including sedatives are used to relive pain.
Benefit
The patients are likely to be satisfied with the option if there are no side effects including feelings of nausea or getting sick.
Risks
There is a potential harm to a mother and fetus from long term use of medication.
In any case evaluation of the impact of the pharmacological option to cause harm is not a straight forward matter especially when there is likelihood of congenital defects. Even with no adverse effect on feta; organ development, the pharmacological option might negatively affect the physiology of pregnancy, for drugs like NSAIDs whic...