Proposal on the combination of therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of pain in Primary Health Care

Abstract

The fight against pain is a concern of medicine since the emergence and development of the human being, as evidenced by several researchers. The scientific literature currently shows that a correct biopsychosocial assessment, an adequate and individualized comprehensive therapeutic plan and multidisciplinary management improve chronic pain in terms of pain reduction, essentially in terms of emotional, psychological and functional aspects. Adequate pain management is based on a correct performance of the medical staff, which leads to an improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of pain in Primary Health Care. Objective: The objective is to elaborate a proposal on the combination of therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of pain in Primary Health Care. Methods: Theoretical level methods such as synthetic analytical, empirical level observation and expert criteria were applied, with the Delphi method, and at the mathematical level, the relevant statistical analysis of the methods used. These allowed to propose the integration of Pharmacological, Psychological, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Natural and Traditional Medicine contents for the integral treatment of pain in Primary Health Care. The proposal was scientifically assessed by experts through the Delphi method and was applied in two community health areas in the municipality of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Results: It is evidenced in the elaboration of the proposal to treat pain integrally, through the combination of pharmacological, non-pharmacological, Psychological, Natural and Traditional Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation therapeutic alternatives, validated by the Delphi method, it was demonstrated the acceptance of very adequate the proposal by the selected specialists as well as the observation of the change of performance in the General Physician in Primary Health Care in the treatment of pain in the patients of the community. Conclusions: The proposal was validated as very adequate by the experts and its application in the context of Primary Health Care. Demonstrating the relevance of the proposal, we consider that the combination of therapeutic alternatives is a developing field that should be part of the professional skills of the General Practitioner.