WHO pain ladder

The WHO pain ladder is a guideline for managing pain effectively, especially in HIV/AIDS and cancer patients. It suggests starting with mild pain relief, like non-prescription medications, and progressively moving to stronger treatments as needed. The first step involves using drugs like acetaminophen or NSAIDs. If pain persists, the next step is stronger prescription medicines like opioids. If pain remains severe, higher doses or different combinations are used. The goal is to control pain appropriately while minimizing side effects, tailoring treatment to each individual's needs along the pathway of increasing pain severity.