STEPPING UP SINGAPORE’S PAIN MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Conventionally, patients with chronic pain are prescribed opioids such as morphine, codeine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. However, painkillers do not address the underlying cause of chronic pain, and their prolonged use can cause more harm than good.
Prolonged use of NSAIDs has been linked to gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding, while the use of opioids can create dependency in the long run.
Instead of relying on painkillers, a multidisciplinary approach is fast becoming the standard of care in chronic pain management in countries such as Australia.
In those countries, chronic pain is approached and treated as a condition in and of itself, instead of a symptom of a disease. GPs are the first line of the triage, leading the treatment and working closely with allied health professionals.
They may consider minimally-invasive procedures, patient education, behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, physical therapy, family therapy, surgery, and more.
This is unlike in Singapore, where GPs tend to refer patients to a specialist if they unable to treat the condition, depending on where the pain is situated. For example, the patient is likely to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon if the pain is located in the knee, or a neurologist if he is experiencing frequent and intense headaches.