Your role in pain control

After surgery, work with your healthcare team to make your recovery as quick and pain-free as possible. Communicate with members of your healthcare team to help them assess and adjust the pain management plan.

• Be honest about the pain you feel after surgery. Let your healthcare professional know how much it hurts, where it hurts, and what activities or positions make it better or worse. Rate the intensity of pain on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine. The more specific you can be, the better your healthcare team can help you.
• Don't ignore side effects. Tell your care team if you experience sleepiness, constipation, nausea or other side effects of the medicines. A different pain medicine or dose can sometimes reduce uncomfortable side effects, and these side effects can often be treated and relieved.