PAIN MANAGEMENT: ANESTHESIOLOGY AND NEUROLOGY PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Pain is a complex and many-faceted phenomenon and therefore it cannot always be treated by only one approach.   The study examines the clinical and experimental advantages of both prescribing neurology and anesthesiology concomitantly in an attempt to collaborate, to treat both the chronic and acute pain.   We achieved this through the mixed-methods approach. We selected 120 patients with various kinds of pain and administered them to neuronal modulation with dual-modality procedure and pharmacologic anesthesia.   The repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the statistical interaction effect (p < 0.05) occurred between the impact of the anesthetic and neurologic intervention on the level of pain.   Meanwhile, applying thematic analysis to the interviews by means of a semi-structured method revealed that the treatment has been made more psychologically comfortable, more accurate, and less frightening due to the co-management.   The figures indicate that cross-disciplinary paradigm of treatment not only results in better clinical outcomes, but also improves the feelings of the patient.   We have developed a stepwise process flow that would enable institutions to copy and implement the process in the future.   Findings indicate that the study has managed to break the barrier between the two most common approaches to treat pain, neurophysiologic and pharmacologic treatment of pain in current pain treatment, to have them work together in an evidence-based way.   Such impacts are not limited to clinical practice, training at all levels, healthcare policy, and education.