Constant pain from a medical condition or an injury can affect your quality of life. With effective treatments, you can manage the discomfort and improve your well-being. Here is how to transform your life by visiting a pain management clinic:
What Is a Pain Management Clinic?
A pain management clinic is a medical facility specializing in identifying and treating chronic pain. These clinics offer physical, psychological, and behavioral therapy in addition to prescription drugs to help people manage their pain. They educate you about your pain and offer you coaching on lifestyle modifications. Your quality of life and ability to function may improve following treatment at a pain center.
What Do Pain Doctors Treat?
Pain doctors are medical professionals with specialized training in examining, diagnosing, and managing pain. They often treat patients with low back, head, knee, hip, and neck discomfort. Here are some conditions your pain doctor can help you manage:
Degenerative Disc Disease: Causes back, neck, arm, and leg discomfort as the spinal discs can become less functional with age or exercise.
Annular Tears: Trauma or aging-related damage resulting in radiating pain, numbness, and tingling that affects the spinal discs.
Spinal osteoarthritis: Back pain, stiffness, and a reduced range of motion in the spine. Many bones can rub against each other due to deteriorated joint cartilage.
Spinal Stenosis: When the spinal canal narrows, it can cause pressure placed on the spinal nerves, causing numbness, neck, and lower back pain.
Neuropathy: A nerve injury that results in severe sensitivity, numbness, and tingling in the affected areas. Autoimmune disorders, diabetes, trauma, alcoholism, and chemotherapy can cause neuropathy.
Facet Joint Syndrome: Chronic use or acute trauma causes the cartilage in the facet joints to degrade, which can cause swelling, discomfort, and stiffness. Pain may worsen with movement and exercise due to joint strain.
Pain doctors may also help with herniated discs, spondylitis, foraminal stenosis, and scoliosis discomfort. Find a pain treatment clinic if your discomfort has persisted for several months. With the help of their training and expertise, pain management doctors can identify the underlying cause of your chronic pain and customize a treatment plan.
What Types of Treatments Are Offered?
To identify the source of your discomfort, a pain doctor may conduct a physical examination or order blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Based on their findings, they will provide a personalized treatment plan to help manage and minimize the pain. Here are some therapies that pain clinics offer:
- Radiation therapy
- Physical therapy
- Bioelectric therapy
- Massage
- Drug therapy
- Trigger point injections
- Targeted exercise
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
- Mind-body therapy
- Dietary approaches
Your pain management plan may include a combination of several therapies. As you progress in treatment, your doctor may adjust the program to suit your present needs.
How Do I Find a Pain Clinic?
Find a local pain management clinic online or ask your primary care physician for a recommendation. Check directories at local hospitals and palliative care centers. Select a facility specializing in personalized treatment and providing a range of therapies to improve your quality of life.