Hartford Hospital and your caregivers are committed to addressing and managing any pain issues you may have during your stay. Your caregivers will use a 0-10 Pain Scale to help us assess your pain and response to pain medicines. Aside from the expertise provided by your caregivers, there are different pain control consultative services that are available to patients when necessary:

•         The Anesthesia Pain Control Service uses techniques such as nerve blocks and epidurally administered medications to help control pain during and after surgery. The service also may be called to provide nerve blocks and epidurals to patients who have chronic pain. 

•         The Integrative Medicine Service provides pain management without the use of medications. Interventions such as Reiki, Massage, Guided Imagery, and Acupuncture may be beneficial to patients. Please refer to the Integrative Medicine section for more information.

•         The Pharmacy Pain Control Service uses medications to help manage your pain. Narcotics are not the only medications that may be used to treat pain. Frequently, combinations of medications and non-narcotics may be needed for the best pain management.