Resources - Pain Management

When it comes to pain management, there are several ways doctors go about attacking your pain and getting you back to normal. Full scale pain management is a multi discipline approach with one goal in mind: get you back to feeling like your old self again. Once a doctor has examined your records and determines you are a candidate for pain management, they may treat you with medication and perhaps even direct you to an in house physical therapy center equipped with all the newest tools to rehabilitate your injury. From massage to stretches and from nautilus machines to actual weight workouts, there are many different was of performing physical therapy. Chiropractic care involves formulating a plan to physically attack your pain from the source and not just mask it.

Other forms of pain management that are equally important are interventional procedures. An interventional procedure may be prescribed by your doctor alone or even in addition to other forms of pain relief. Most pain management clinics staff in house certified anesthesiologists that specialize in different types of injections and nerve blocks. This benefits the patient by avoiding hospital visits and the aggravation involved in traveling between facilities. It may be a good idea to ask ahead of time if the facility you plan on attending is able to do everything in-house that your treatment requires.

The most common pain management services include:

• Medical management includes evaluation and treatment of headaches and chronic pain. Interventions may include medication management, IV therapies, trigger point injections, Botox injections, and EMG's.

• Physical therapy may include postural and body mechanics education, cardiovascular training, trigger point self-massage, yoga, craniosacral therapy, soft tissue release and modalities (traction, ultrasound and electrical stimulation).

• Biofeedback utilizes modern day computerized programs to teach relaxation and non-pharmacological pain management interventions for all ages.

• Occupational therapy focuses on teaching patients adaptive techniques, pacing strategies and ergonomics to facilitate their highest level of performance in all activities of daily living, their chosen profession and return to work capabilities.

• Psychology helps people and their families cope with psychosocial issues related to their chronic pain utilizing a cognitive-behavioral approach. The goal is to reduce depression and anxiety, improve relationships with family and friends and improve quality of life.

• Nursing works in conjunction with the physician to provide patient education, IV infusion therapy and case management.