Pain is defined as whatever the person experiencing the pain says it is, existing whenever the person says it does. This clinical definition recognizes pain as a personal private experience. Scientists at the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) have proposed another definition. This definition states that pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or it is described in terms of such damage.
In considering the IASP definition, it is important to note that not all potentially tissue-damaging stimuli result in pain. Nociception is the activation of the primary afferent nerves with peripheral terminals that respond differently to noxious stimuli. Nociceptors function primarily to sense and transmit pain signals. Nociception may or may not be perceived as pain, depending on a complex interaction within the nociceptive pathways. If nociceptive stimuli are blocked, pain is not perceived.
Finally, it is important to distinguish pain, or nociception, from suffering. Suffering is the state of severe distress associated with events that threaten the intactness of the person. Suffering is an emotion. Pain and suffering are not the same phenomenon. The person who complained of pain in the heart because of the death of a loved one is suffering rather than experiencing pain as it is defined by the IASP. It is clear that three conditions could exist: 1) suffering occurs in the presence of pain, 2) suffering occurs when pain is not present, and 3) pain occurs when suffering is not present. For example, the woman awaiting breast biopsy may suffer because of anticipated loss of her breast. After the biopsy, she may have pain without suffering if the biopsy is negative or pain with suffering if the biopsy is positive for malignancy. Interventions aimed at relieving pain and suffering may have some commonalities, but clearly some interventions for suffering will be inadequate for pain just as some interventions for pain are inadequate for suffering. Therefore, it is crucial to pain management to understand the alterations in comfort that result from suffering and to use the correct term when referring to pain and suffering and to not interchange them.
Pain is one of the most common reasons individuals seek health care. More than 100 million Americans experience pain – both acute and chronic. A significant number of individuals with pain are disabled by their pain, resulting in a serious economic problem in society as well as a major health problem. Adding to the problems of patients with acute pain, especially cancer pain is a tendency for physicians to prescribe small, insufficient doses of analgesics to control the pain.
The world pain management market for drugs and devices encompasses a wide variety of products that treat and ease pain. The field of pain management is currently experiencing a busy and interesting period; and as a result, the range of therapeutic options available to physicians and other clinicians has expanded. Solutions to pain disorders are still elusive but continued human and animal studies will help to further identify the biochemical and neurophysiological factors that influence pain. The future of pain management will likely involve multidisciplinary departments dedicated to finding treatments that manage pain. The need is great worldwide for management of pain and there are still many facets of pain management that need to be explored.
Faced with intensifying competition and increasingly price sensitive markets, manufacturers in the area of pain management therapeutics are trying to differentiate their products to avoid price competition and to increase profits. However, there are a number of issues and trends that have a direct influence on this market and the manufacturer’s ability to successfully operate in the market. A keen awareness of all facets of the industry including barriers will enable manufacturers to effectively challenge these issues and formulate plans to reduce or eliminate barriers in the treatment of pain.
The driving forces for this market include growth and aging of the global population, new products and technology, and increasing interest in multidisciplinary approaches to pain management.
This report, The World Market for Pain Management Drugs and Devices, provides market estimates and forecasts for the following therapeutic categories:
• Burn Pain
• Cancer Pain
• Dental/Facial Pain
• Migraine Headache Pain
• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Neuropathic Pain
• Obstetrical Pain
• Pediatric Pain
• Surgical and Trauma Pain
Kalorama has recently conducted a full length study on pain management. The report shows significant growth. can be found at: http://www.kaloramainformation.com/Pain-Management-Drugs-7579512/
