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Acute Pain Service

We help patients who are experiencing acute pain during their hospital stay.

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The Acute Pain Service works closely with care teams across the hospital. Our anesthesiologists and nurse practitioners visit patients who are experiencing acute pain or who need advanced pain treatments.

Acute pain has a specific cause and lasts no longer than six months. It is common to experience acute pain after surgery or when being treated for injury or illness.

What to expect

If you are experiencing pain while you are in the hospital, one of our anesthesiologists or nurse practitioners will visit you at your bedside. We will ask about your pain and work with you to decide on a treatment plan. 

We may recommend any of the following pain management options:

  • Oral medication which is taken by mouth
  • Intravenous medication which is inserted into a vein
  • Patient-controlled analgesia which allows patients to change the dose of their medication 
  • Epidurals which are often used during labour
  • Nerve blocks which numb a large area of your body
  • Infusions of lidocaine or ketamine to help control your pain
  • Non-medicinal therapies such as icing and relaxation

A member of our team will visit you again while you are in the hospital to make sure your pain is manageable. We will also provide instructions for how you can manage your pain at home.

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so you may see medical students, residents or other medical trainees as part of your care. Learners are supervised by other members of our dedicated care team who work together to provide you with comprehensive care.