An Evolution of Suffering: Anesthesiology's Contribution to Pain Management

Abstract

The modern human, and all progenitor species before it, evolved in a milieu of pain and suffering. Recent innovations in medicine have permitted the development of tools to mitigate these powerful experiences. Anesthesiologists have been on the vanguard of developing treatments and systems to face this challenge. Pain is a heterogeneous entity that requires precise categorization, and targeted, multimodal treatment to optimally manage. Anesthesiologists have developed a system whereby analgesia permits a myriad of life-saving surgeries, and have expanded their role beyond the perioperative setting. This includes unique contributions to how the concept of pain is experienced by infants, and appropriate interventions in this population. Contemporary anesthesiologists have extended their responsibilities to include harnessing robust technologies to manage pain in outpatient clinics, and serving as pain experts within hospital systems. This article serves as a primer to the history of anesthesiologists' contributions to pain management.