because the process involves the patient, he now has a target to
shoot for.
Of course, by that time, the patient has graduated from the hospital's
preadmission class for total joint patients. There he's learned not only
how to manage his pain while hospitalized, but also how to use med-
ications and ice packs and properly position himself to control pain
and promote recovery.
Block time
Next up are the anesthesiologists, who administer regional blocks and
provide preemptive analgesics such as gabapentin and Celebrex (cele-
coxib). "They do a great job of staying on the forefront of what's new
in the field," says Ms. Ford.
