Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

pain, phantom limb
Pain perceived to be
located in the distribution of a previously removed
extremity. See also 
phantom limb syndrome.
pain, phantom tooth
See 
phantom tooth pain.
pain, shingles
See 
shingles.
pain management
The process of providing
medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. Mild to
moderate pain can usually be treated with analgesic
medications, such as aspirin. For chronic or severe
pain, opiates and other narcotics may be used,
sometimes in concert with analgesics; with steroids
or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs when the
pain is related to inflammation; or with antidepres-
sants, which can potentiate some pain medications
without raising the actual dose of the drug and
which affect the brain’s perception of pain.
Narcotics carry with them the potential for side
effects and addiction. However, the risk of addiction
is not normally a concern in the care of terminal
patients. For hospitalized patients with severe pain,
devices for self-administration of narcotics are fre-
quently used. Other procedures can also be useful
in pain management programs. For bedridden
patients, simply changing position regularly or using
pillows to support a more comfortable posture can
be effective. Massage, acupuncture, acupressure,
and biofeedback have also shown some validity for
increased pain control in some patients.
pains, growing
See 
growing pains.
palate
The roof of the mouth. The bony front por-
tion is the hard palate, and the muscular back por-
tion is the soft palate. See also 
cleft palate.
palate, cleft
See 
cleft palate.
paleostriatum
See 
globus pallidus.
palilalia
A speech disorder that is characterized
by the repetition of words or phrases. Palinphrasia
is encountered in autistic spectrum disorders and
Tourette’s syndrome. Also known as palinphrasia.