A、They caused longer chronic pain. B、They caused dizziness, fatigue and many other problems. C、They disrupted a person’s life. D

(26) Years ago, doctors often said that pain was a normal part of life. In particular, when older patients complained of pain, they were told it was a natural part of aging and they would have to learn to live with it.
    (26) Times have changed. Today, we take pain seriously. Indeed, (27) pain is now considered the fifth vital sign, as important as blood pressure, temperature, breathing rate and pulse in determining a person’ s well-being. We know that chronic (慢性的) pain can disrupt(扰乱) a person’ s life, causing problems that range from missed work to depression.
    (28) That’s why a growing number of hospitals now depend upon physicians who specialize in pain medicine. Not only do we evaluate the cause of the pain, which can help us treat the pain better, but we also help provide comprehensive therapy for depression and other psychological and social issues related to chronic pain. (30) Such comprehensive therapy often involves the work of social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as specialists in pain medicine.
    This modern respect for pain management has led to a wealth of innovative treatments which are more effective and with fewer side effects than ever before. (29) Decades ago, there were only a limited number of drugs available, and many of them caused significant side effects in older people, including dizziness and fatigue. This created a double-edged sword: the medications helped relieve the pain but caused other problems that could be worse than the pain itself.
26．What is the main idea of the passage?
27．Which of the following is NOT a vital sign of life?
28．Why do more hospitals rely on pain specialists today?
29．What were the side effects of pain remedies of the past?
30．Who are not involved in the comprehensive pain therapy according to the passage?