Methods used by female nurses and lay women for everyday pain management

Abstract

There are numerous types of pain, with different clinical meanings. Everyday pain might be experienced by everyone under different stressors, such as lack of sleep, alcohol overuse, stay in a stuffy room, and physical overstressors. It also might be related to a job character or attitudes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the methods for the management of everyday pain used by female nurses and lay women. Headaches and back pain were the most common pains reported among the female population included in this study. Analgesic use was the most common method for management of everyday pain. Nurses used prescription medicine and other methods. Lay women used over-the-counter analgesics more often. There is a significant tendency to exceed the maximum analgesic dose when treating migraines, total body pain, and toothaches. The majority of all of the women included in this study used analgesics according to recommendations. Nurses were found to underuse analgesics and lay women to overuse the recommended dose. Speed and safety were identified as key factors driving studied respondents' decisions when treating pain.