At our pain center, you will find that our goal is to treat the overall patient. Rather than masking your pain and other symptoms, we determine the specific cause and treat it directly for long term results. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our compassionate and experienced pain management doctors.
About Chronic Pain
Millions of people in the United States have to deal with chronic pain on a regular basis. Chronic pain is characterized as pain that remains for more than six months at a time. This type of pain varies greatly. It can sometimes be absolutely unbearable. In other cases, however, it can be comparatively subtle. Some patients cannot manage their day-to-day activities due to chronic pain. Others can go to work and handle all of their obligations with chronic pain as a relatively minor annoyance. At our pain center, we see patients with all types and variances of pain.
Types of Chronic Pain
There are many different types of chronic pain. Those who have chronic pain are often individuals who have joint pain, headaches or back pain. There are often patients who have pain that was caused by trauma, too. Although these forms of pain are particularly common, they’re far from the only varieties of chronic pain out there. Sinus pain, tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome are all examples of chronic pain. Many patients who have chronic pain also experience intense discomfort in certain areas. These areas include the neck, pelvis, and shoulders. If your shoulders seemingly constantly act up and bother you, for example, chronic shoulder pain could be the culprit. Visiting our pain center is a good way to determine the cause of your chronic pain.
Chronic Pain Signs
If you’re a chronic pain sufferer, that fact will likely be very apparent to you. If you experience persistent pain that’s anywhere between moderate and intense, then you could have chronic pain and would benefit from a visit to our pain center. If you always feel rigid, sore, or unusually tight, those symptoms could also be related to chronic pain. Individuals who have chronic pain often indicate that their pain is burning or shooting in nature.
Although the name “chronic pain” solely refers to the pain aspect of the situation, there are other possible unpleasant symptoms that are occasionally linked to the problem, as well. Chronic pain sufferers often have to go through insomnia, exhaustion, nervousness, frustration, depression, apprehension, and problems with their immune system. If you constantly feel lethargic and because of that don’t usually feel like doing anything, there’s a very big chance that chronic pain could be the root cause for you. Patients who have chronic pain often show no enthusiasm toward activities that may otherwise be of interest to them.
Pain Management Doctors
If you have chronic pain and want to get rid of it or at the very least minimize it, a visit to a respected pain management doctor can often be a very good idea. Pain management doctors are specialists who have expertise in the assessment and treatment of pain. They’re frequently trained to be neurologists, anesthesiologists, and primary care doctors, for example. Pain management doctors can help patients get control over many different types of pain. If you want to manage pain that’s due to trauma, a pain management specialist may be able to help you out. If you want to manage pain that’s caused by persistent and lingering migraine headaches, a pain management doctor be able to assist you with that, too. These doctors regularly aid all types of patients. Their patients may even sometimes need pain management assistance due to cancer or surgery recovery. At our pain center, our staff is highly trained and educated when it comes to managing all types of pain. Pain management is our specialty.
Common Pain Management Options
If you schedule an appointment with a pain management doctor, he’ll devise for you an in-depth treatment plan that’s perfectly in line with your specific situation. Pain management doctors frequently recommend pain management medicine for their patients prior to suggesting other choices. Examples of some medications that are frequently used to take control of pain include corticosteroids, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antidepressants, opioid pain medicines, and other pain relievers.
If your chronic pain is part of a bigger inflammatory problem, your pain center doctor may recommend you begin taking corticosteroids. If your pain is on the subtle side, he may suggest a pain reliever such as acetaminophen. He may even suggest you use this pain reliever alongside another type of available medication.
Antidepressants aren’t solely for patients who have mood disorders. They can also help in minimizing various forms of pain. Antidepressants can even often encourage patients to fall asleep more easily at night. It isn’t uncommon at all for people to find it very hard to sleep when they’re suffering from immense pain and discomfort.
Opioid pain medicines, lastly, are often used on a temporary basis. They’re similar to morphine. They’re frequently used for the treatment of pain linked to cancer. They’re often used for the management of acute pain, as well.
If your pain management doctor doesn’t think medication is a suitable choice for you, he may recommend other techniques such as electrical stimulation, aquatic therapy, physical therapy, nerve blocks, and injections. Psychological counseling can also sometimes help patients learn how to manage chronic pain and discomfort. Surgery is yet another form of pain management.
Pain management doctors tend to avoid suggesting surgery to patients unless they feel that they have absolutely no other choice, however. Nerve surgery can sometimes help people who have chronic pain. It can also sometimes allow them to move forward with their lives. Surgery is often suggested as a last resort and only if your doctor is confident that it will help your situation.
At our pain center, you can trust that your overall health and care is in good hands. We always suggest a treatment option that is specifically for your situation.