Preventing, minimizing, and managing pain in patients with chronic wounds: challenges and solutions

Thomas E Serena,1 Raphael A Yaakov,1 Saima Aslam1,2 Rummana S Aslam2 1Clinical Research, SerenaGroup Wound and Hyperbaric Centers, Cambridge, MA, 2Center for Advanced Wound Care, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, USA Abstract: It is widely known that pain frequently accompanies certain types of chronic wounds, most notably arterial insufficiency ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers; however, until recently, pain associated with chronic wounds has not received much attention. A limited number of studies have explored the impact of painful wounds on the quality of life. Nonetheless, these early works have brought wound-related pain (WRP) to the forefront and highlighted the importance of pain assessment and management in enhancing the quality of life and improving wound healing outcomes. This review of the current literature on WRP presents an overview of pain pathophysiology, clinical features of WRP, and the limitations of pain assessment methods, and offers clinical pearls on preventing, managing, and minimizing WRP. Keywords: chronic wounds, pain assessment, pain management, patient experience, quality of life