Stanley opens pain clinic

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Chennai: The next time you complain of severe pain, you might end up getting specific treatment as pain medicine and treatment has now become a specialty. Government Stan­ley medical college hospital has become the first hospital in the state to open a dedicated clinic for pain treatment.
Minister of health and family welfare K.C. Vee­ramani and Royapuram MLA D. Jayakumar inaugurated the clinic housed in the department of plastic surgery.
Dr S.S. Sukumar, assistant professor of anaesthesia, who will be in charge of the pain clinic, said the percentage of patients who come complaining of pain is higher even than the ones who come for diabetes.
A 55-year-old patient of mine attempted suicide thrice because he was not able to bear his back pain, he said, emphasising the psychological eff­ect it has on the patients.
In case of acute pain, which lasts for less than three months, painkillers and normal medication can be used, whereas in the case of chronic pain, it takes careful assessment and treatment, the doctor added.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr S. Geetha­lak­sh­mi, dean, Stanley medi­c­al college, said even do­c­tors were unaware in ea­rly days as to whom to co­ntact in case of pain. “I hope this would grow in­to a separate departme­nt in the future,” she add­ed.
Doctors opined that pharmacotherapy, physiotherapy, psychological assistance and coordination of various departments was imperative for treating pain.