Primum non nocere

The development in modern medicine and nursing sciences is such that it led to a primarily intervention centered mind set. Symptom  intervention  recovery is the underlying thought. Often it seems that in thinking so the knowledge that symptoms are not the disease, but rather one of the forms a disease or conditions shows is lost out of sight. A major symptom that is looked upon with this point of view is pain. Pain currently is seen as primarily unwanted and is to be eliminated ASAP if not avoided completely to start with. Birthing pain was for centuries seen as inevitable and women learned themselves and each other to cope with it and use it as a means to evaluate the course of labor and delivery. Veringa & van Cranenburgh (2010) state in their essay that amongst other things pain can force significant behavior and influence physiology. Neglecting or even rigorous elimination of this pain may lead to violation of the first adagio of medical practice: primum non nocere (first, do no harm). In breastfeeding, too, pain is often viewed as a standalone problem and symptom-solving pin management seen as the answer. Ointments and covers are pulled out when nipples are hurting and medications for breast inflammation. But a hurting nipple hurts and will continue to hurt unless the cause of it is taken away, no matter how much cream is rubbed in and how many shields are applied. And unless the cause for pain in the breast is taken away, after an apparent recovery following antibiotics the pain will return and more harm than good is done.
Veringa I, van Cranenburgh B: Baringspijn is er niet voor niets. Medisch Contact 2010, 36:1734-1737