The word antalgia It is used to refer to everything that relieves or avoids pain (anti: against, algos: pain). The terms are used interchangeably antalgia and antalgic.
In the case of anesthesia, what is achieved is to eliminate sensitivity to pain, while analgesic measures act once the pain is present to modulate it.
Pain relief can be achieved either by the administration of drugs, by executing some type of therapy or even by adopting a certain posture.
Antalgia in painful diseases
Many diseases are capable of producing pain, in fact, although it is a non-specific symptom, pain is usually the way in which various disorders appear.
Regardless of the cause, the pain always is and should be treated. In the case of diseases that require surgery for their resolution, such as acute appendicitis, once the diagnosis is made, the pain should be treated, which constitutes an antalgic measure. While removing the pain will not improve doing nothing for the appendicitis itself, it does allow the patient relief while the problem is resolved, which is accomplished by removing the appendix.
Antalgic postures
Faced with pain, many times the sufferer adopts positions or postures that help them feel less pain or even relieve themselves, these are known as antalgic postures. This is something that is usually done unconsciously.
The identification of these positions is usually a very useful clue when making the diagnosis of some disorders, since some analgesic positions are very characteristic of specific diseases.
Patients with inflammation of the lining of the heart, a condition known as pericarditis, usually squat with their torso bent forward for less pain. Patients with abdominal disorders such as pancreatitis often lie very still, lying on their side with their legs bent on the abdomen.
In the case of pleural effusion, patients lean towards the side of the effusion and usually hold the lower part of the thorax with one hand, trying to breathe shallowly. For their part, patients with problems such as low back pain due to sciatica remain standing and avoid sitting. All of these steps are taken to relieve pain and are helpful in identifying its cause.
Photos: iStock - mediaphotos / Kawinpathawee
