Pain Relief Measures - Essay Example

According to Bicek (2004), the non-pharmacologic approach helps in preventing pain, but they are effective when used in conjunction with pharmacological pain practices. There are three broad categories of complementary therapies, which are cognitive or behavioral, physical or cutaneous, and environmental or emotional (Bicek, 2004). The cognitive strategies include relaxation, distraction, imagery, and breathing techniques. On the other hand, the cutaneous therapies include vibration, massage, position change, heat/cold, and trans-electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Polkki, Vehvilainen-Julkunen & Pietila (2001; cited in Bicek, 2004) assert that the environmental approaches include touch, reassurance, or interior room decorations. In summary, these procedures do not only aim at reducing pain but also provide spiritual and psycho-emotional care to the patient (Klossner 2006).

 According to Sundin and Murdoch (2007), over 60 percent of labor pains patients in the US prefer the use of pharmacological therapies. Regional analgesia is the common practice used to enhance pain relief by blocking the afferent transfer of pain using a local anesthetic agent (Ballantyne, Fishman & Rathmell, 2010). Non-pharmacological methods result in maternal satisfaction, thus safer for the baby and the mother (Sundin & Murdoch, 2007). In addition, they are friendly as the patient gets assistance from friends and relatives or a nurse. The methods are usually very simple and relaxing removing fears from the mind of the patient and giving more assurance of a natural and simple delivery.