Pain Management

MyMichigan Health promotes patient and family involvement in all aspects of their care, including effective pain management.

Our healthcare team is committed to providing effective pain management, with a goal to safely reduce your pain to a level that is acceptable to you.

We take all pain seriously and understand that unrelieved pain can have negative physical, psychological, social and spiritual consequences. Your healthcare team will work with you to regularly re-assess your pain and to develop an appropriate plan for managing it. 

Patient Rights

We will:

• Provide education on safe and effective options to manage pain.
• Take your reports of pain seriously and address your needs in a responsive and compassionate way.
• Appropriately monitor you for a safe level of sedation, if needed.
• Follow best practices for prescribing and managing controlled substances, including using the Michigan Automated Prescribing System (MAPS) to help prevent drug abuse, diversion, over-prescribing or over-dispensing.
• Provide clear instructions regarding any pain medications we prescribe, including how it is to be taken, how to safely store it and how to properly dispose of any unused portion.
• Help you identify other resources such as pain management programs or substance use disorder programs as needed.

Patient Responsibilities

We expect that you will:

• Provide information about your pain, including any history of chronic pain and any pain relief therapies used.
• Discuss pain relief options with your healthcare team and work with them to develop a pain management plan. Options may include medications and other methods, such as distraction, relaxation and use of heat, cold and massage.
• Ask for pain relief when pain first begins.
• Help us assess your pain and tell us if your pain is not relieved. We will use a pain management scale to help you rate your level of pain.
• Tell us if you have any concerns about taking pain medication.
• Notify us of any specific cultural, spiritual or personal beliefs associated with pain and pain relief measures.
• Ask questions to ensure you understand your pain medication, how it is to be taken, how to safely store it and how to properly dispose of any unused portion.

Managing Side Effects

Pain medications can be associated with side effects. Let your healthcare team know if you experience any possible side effects, such as:

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Constipation
• Sleeplessness/weakness
• Itching
• Confusion
• Problems urinating
• Shortness of breath
• Unexplained symptoms 

Medication Safety

Providing pain relief can be complex. Pain medicines can pose major risks, including serious health problems and even death. We are committed to providing pain relief that is appropriate and safe for your condition. We want you to be aware that many pain medications can be addictive even after a short-term dose. We will tell you about the risks and benefits of the drugs we prescribe. We will also follow best practices for safely prescribing and managing opioids.