From First Hurt to Lasting Relief Rethinking Pain Treatment

This presentation reviews the spectrum of pain from acute and subacute to chronic, emphasizing how underlying mechanisms differ across pain types. We will discuss nociceptive, neuropathic, and centralized pain and how accurate pain classification guides effective treatment. The session also highlights pharmacologic management strategies, including indications, benefits, and risks of commonly used analgesic and adjuvant medications.

Objectives:

• Differentiate acute, subacute, and chronic pain, including key pathophysiologic mechanisms.
• Identify major pain categories (nociceptive, neuropathic, centralized) and their clinical features.
• Review pharmacologic management options and appropriate medication selection based on pain type and patient factors. 

Audience: general 

CEs: NHA & SW, certificate of attendance

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Ball, PharmD, BCGP, Minnesota Direct Care and Treatment 

Presented: 4/13/25