METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE PAIN FROM INJECTIONS OR MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES AND APPARATUS FOR USE THEREWITH

摘要

The pain associated with an injection or minor surgical procedure at a site on the skin of a patient is reduced by urging a skin engaging surface of a pressure member (20) against the skin proximate the site, thereby stimulating the large diameter afferent sensory nerve fibers in the skin proximate the site and at least partially blocking pain signals from the small diameter afferent pain nerve fibers in the skin proximate the site. An apparatus for use in this method comprises a pressure member (20) having a skin engaging surface adapted to be pressed against the skin of a patient proximate the site to stimulate the large afferent sensory nerve fibers in the skin proximate the site. In certain embodiments, the skin engaging surface is comprised of a plurality of projections (26) extending from the pressure member (20). Various embodiments include a syringe retainer adapted to be secured to a syringe and a least one resilient member such as spring, resiliently securing the pressure member to the syringe retainer.