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Pain Management

Pain after surgery is called acute pain. While it can cause considerable discomfort, acute pain is quite normal and usually doesn’t last very long — one to three days is a common duration. The goal of pain management is to control a patients’ pain enough to allow for activities and actions required for healing: walking, eating, breathing deeply, and sleeping. Learn more about the differences between opioid and non-opioid pain management.

Surgery Pain Management

Learn about preparing for surgery, talking with your surgeon, strategies to manage pain such as over-the-counter medications, non-medication options, opioid medications, and COVID’s impact on the opioid crisis. Healthcare providers can find current evidence to support prescribing decisions, best practices for pain management, opioid prescribing recommendations, patient counseling suggestions, and care coordination strategies.

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Managing Pain After Surgery (Adults)

Learn ways to manage pain after surgery such as: over-the-counter medications, non-medication strategies, and opioids, if prescribed.

Non-Medication Pain Management

Learn how to help manage or reduce your pain and anxiety through various techniques. 

Dentistry Pain Management

Learn about preparing for dental procedures, talking with your dentist, strategies to manage pain such as over-the-counter medications and non-medication options.

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Managing Pain After Dental Surgery

Learn ways to manage pain after dental surgery such as: over-the-counter medications, non-medication strategies, and opioids, if prescribed.

Pediatrics Pain Management

Surgery can be stressful for both you and your child. This is natural and expected, and some of this comes from worrying about the pain after surgery and how it can be managed. These tools will help you talk to your surgeon about pain before your child’s surgery and manage your child’s acute pain following their operation.

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Acute Care Pain Management – Pediatrics Impact Report

Learn about OPEN’s impact in pediatrics.