Once pain has served its function by warning us of injury, it becomes unnecessary and should be treated. If pain goes untreated
and is allowed to become chronic, it may have severe adverse physical, psychological, and social effects.
Why does under-treatment of pain happen?
Pain continues to be under-treated for a variety of reasons, despite the development of guidelines for its assessment and
management.
Advocates for total pain relief also must confront cultural beliefs that can be slow to change. People often see pain endurance
as a sign of strength — “no pain, no gain” — or refer to pain as having a benefit. Others believe strong pain relief medications
are too dangerous, especially for the very young.
Moreover, because strong pain medications such as opioids are “controlled substances” and subject to abuse, some medical professionals
are reluctant to prescribe them out of fear of prosecution. “Narcotics” is the term used to refer to street or illegal drugs,
which may include pain medicines and other drugs such as morphine and cocaine.
Although some facilities approach pain in a comprehensive way that involves both physical and psychological methods, not all
do.
In some countries, the cost of a comprehensive approach may be a further barrier to the provision of good pain services.