Pain is the most prevalent cause for adults to seek medical care, making pain management plans not only worth the hype, but worth discussing! Read our blog to learn more about what exactly pain management entails and why it’s beneficial to us all.
What is Pain Management?
Pain can be both debilitating and frustrating, interfering with daily life. Pain is a universally shared symptom of possibly thousands of conditions, diseases, disorders, and injuries. What a pain management specialist aims to do is minimize pain through the use of exercises, medications, procedures, and therapy. A healthcare professional may advise on a singular approach or the combination of multiple. The effectiveness of a pain management plan is dependent on the cause and type of pain a person is dealing with. So, what are the different types of pain that can affect a person?
- Acute pain is time limited (typically under 4 weeks) and usually occurs as a result to injury, trauma, medical treatments such as surgery. Some examples of acute pain include broken bones, dental work, or surgery.
- Chronic pain is ongoing pain that typically lasts longer than 6 months. The pain can be continuous, but for others may come and go. Some conditions known to cause chronic pain include arthritis, migraines, and nerve pain.
Pain management aims to examine, diagnose, and treat different types of pain. Depending on the issue being addressed a multidisciplinary approach may be preferred.
What do Pain Management Plans Involve?
Tailored to best suit the individual, pain management typically requires the expertise of a physician who specializes in pain medicine. That can include skilled professionals such as, neurologists, nurses, physiatrists, oncologists, and more. Treating pain accurately requires proper identification. Your provider will often ask when and where pain occurs and test out certain activities to determine if the discomfort grows or lessens. Be sure to vocalize if the pain remains localized or radiates to other areas.
Once the issue at hand is appropriately diagnosed, your healthcare professional will advise one or more of these pain management techniques:
- At- home remedies (a popular approach is the RICE method, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation)
- Injection(s) (such as a steroid shot)
- Lifestyle changes (for example a weight management plan for chronic pain due to obesity or exercise to reduce joint inflammation)
- Pain medication(s) (can vary from antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, aspirin, or even pain-relieving opioids)
- Physical therapy (such as heat and cold therapy, exercise, hydrotherapy, and massages)
- Psychological therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation)
- Surgery
These pain programs will typically occur in one of three locations; hospitals, rehab facilities, and pain clinics.
Gain from Pain Management
While complete loss of pain isn’t always practical, a well-rounded and effective pain management plan can significantly change how you feel both physically and mentally. One of the benefits associated with pain management is a better control of pain, which can directly affect your physical function and boost how you feel. Inadequately treated pain can lead to harmful patient outcomes. When left untreated pain is not only dangerous on a physical level, but also physiologically. Simply stated, pain causes stress affecting our cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system. Those following a pain management program enjoy a better quality of life with reduced pain!
Interested in minimizing pain and maximizing your health? Visit KPW Health to schedule an appointment today for your pain management needs or call us at 727.230.3423 to learn more about our personalized care!
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/patients/pdf/Promoting-Safer-Effective-Pain-Management.pdf
https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/pain-management-101-what-you-need-to-know