April, 2020 | The Health
UMSC's
multifaceted
approach
to reducing
pain
A
daily routine like taking a
shower and getting dressed for
a person with chronic pain can
be a torture. Anger, anxiety and
even depression may ensue as
a result of chronic pain in view
of the limitations they face and
the debilitating nature of their
condition.
In an interview with Bernama
recently, experts from the Universiti
Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC) gave
a full spectrum on pain management, a
significant branch in medicine that utilizes
an interdisciplinary approach in easing the
suffering and improving the quality of life of
those living with pain. Neurosurgery expert
Dr Nor Faizal Ahmad Bahuri describes pain
as an unpleasant sensation that can be felt
whenever there is a tissue injury.
There are two divisions of pain; acute
pain and chronic pain. Acute pain is the
usual sensation that appears suddenly after
an injury and may last for several minutes
or even a number of days and, sometimes,
up to weeks depending on the healing of the
tissue. As for chronic pain, the patient will
feel the pain even more than three months
after the healing process has taken place.
“Chronic pain causes not only physical
pain but is also associated with emotional
and behavioural pain as an adaptation to the
long-standing discomfort,” said Dr Nor Faizal.
Treating Pain
Hazabbah hopes the program and activities will
be able to help those in need of health checkups
as well as early health screenings, which could
positively impact public healthcare in Kelantan.
— The Health
the children and also helps prevent
the spread of polio virus to other
children.Malaysia has recorded
three polio cases, all hailing from
Sabah, involving a three-month-
old baby from Tuaran, an eight-
year-old from Sandakan and an
eleven-year-old from Kinabatangan.
A targeted sampling on healthy
children detected a three-year-old
healthy child from Semporna with
no symptom, to be positive for polio
virus.
Meanwhile, five samples of
sewage water from Kota Kinabalu
and Semporna was also found to be
contaminated with the polio virus.
Since Dec 27 2019, the
government has issued additional
allocation to carry out bOPV
immunisation campaign for all
children across Sabah, as an effort
to curb the polio virus. According to
the statement issued by the Ministry
of Health (MoH), both type of OPV
vaccines will be given to all children
regardless of their immunisation
status.
The OPV vaccines are safe and
should be given several times to
the children for optimum effect.
Therefore, the MoH urges all
parents, guardians and
educational establishments to
ensure the children receive the
OPV vaccines during the campaign
period. The success of the
campaign depends on the overall
immunisation coverage, which
is at least 95% children under 13
receiving the OPV vaccines.
— The Health
According to interventional radiologist Dr
Norshazriman Sulaiman, pain management
experts comprise of medical specialists who
manage patients with primary complaints
of pain. Treating pain may be through the
conventional ways or the non-conventional
ways.
“As a whole, there are many ways to treat
pain. As you can see, with three different
specialists (from UMSC) here with different
specialities (Dr Nor Faizal, Dr Marzida and
Dr Norshazriman), together we create
a multi-disciplinary approach for pain
management,” he explained.
Among the treatments available are oral
analgesics such as paracetamol and non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other
relevant drug medication. Slight invasive
procedures such as steroid injection, spinal
injection, peripheral nerve block and trigger
point injection are also administered. Dr
Norshazriman states that some of the pain
Covid-19 sharing
clarity seminar
THE Director-General of Health
was invited by Informa Markets to
give clarity on the Covid-19 situation
in Malaysia in a special session with
the business community and embassy
representatives on Feb 12, 2020.The
event was attended by about 200
leaders and representatives of various
business sectors such as manufacturers
of furniture and interiors, building and
construction, water and wastewater, and
commercial security,
According to the Malaysia Healthcare
Travel Council’ website, it is important
to seek information from credible and
authorised sources. Each and every
member of the public must be responsible
when sharing information and must
conditions would require minimal invasive
image-guided therapy that can be provided
by an interventional radiologist.
Today, state of the art interventional
radiology is widely discussed in the area
of oncology, providing another method of
modern oncological management. “This
approach involves targeted therapy which
is precisely directed at the tumour,” said Dr
Norshazriman.
Besides the conventional ways of
treating pain, there are also alternative
or complementary treatments such as
hypnosis, acupuncture, yoga and exercise.
These methods have been recognized as part
of the pain management plan in the western
world and are gaining acknowledgement in
Malaysia.
Dr Marzida enlightened that infrequently
surgery may be required to alleviate the
chronic pain. In such a case, the patient
will be referred to an appropriate surgeon
for further investigation, evaluation and
management. This approach is advised when
necessary in cases such as spinal surgery or
joint replacement.
“Physiotherapy, cognitive behavioural
therapy, relaxation and breathing
exercises are important measures used in
treating patients with chronic pain. When
pharmacological, physical and minimally
invasive treatments don’t work, we may
include complementary treatments such as
hypnosis, acupuncture, massage and also the
use of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve
stimulation).
Medications may help to ease the pain,
but it may not be consistent. That is why
conventional ways are highly recommended
compared to other alternative treatments.
— The Health
ensure its validity. It is ill advised to share
information or rumours if the sources and
the validity seem dubious. The public is
encouraged to check the official social
media channels of the MoH to receive
official up to date information and facts on
the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.
In the efforts to prevent and control the
Covid-19 infection in the country, Malaysia
has continuously received strong support
and commitment from various stakeholders,
both from public and private sectors, as
well as civil society, which includes non-
governmental organisations (NGOs).
The Malaysian government also
continues to strengthen the multilateral
cooperation between ASEAN member
states as well as globally, to ensure that
the prevention and management of
cross-border infections is managed in a
collaborative manner. — The Health
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