What Can I Expect From a Pain Management Clinic

Millions of Americans are living with chronic pain. The good news is you need not any more. Pain medicine is a specialty in itself now. A pain clinic is a specialized facility that works towards the diagnosis and management of chronic pain. Such facilities are also called pain management clinics. Reputed pain clinics use an integrated approach to help people with pain relief and improve their quality of life.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC

Pain management clinics generally have a team of various health care providers that work together to treat your pain. They include doctors who specialize in different areas and other providers such as physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors or massage therapists. They create an integrated pain treatment plan once the underlying condition causing the pain has been diagnosed. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctors may use physical examination, medical history and imaging techniques such as MRI.

Latest Treatments for Pain Management

The pain treatment is customized according to the patient’s specific needs, goals, root cause of pain, severity of pain and other factors. Depending on these, treatments may include one or more of the following:

Medications

Medication may be the initial treatment for many patients. These may include:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen may be used to treat pain and inflammation. Corticosteroids may be used for severe inflammatory conditions. Antidepressants can be useful to relieve pain and promote sleep. Medications are often combined with other treatments to increase their effectiveness.

Steroid Injections

Local anesthetics, sometimes combined with a corticosteroid, are injected into the affected area like muscles and joints to relieve inflammation, swelling and pain.

Nerve blocks

If a specific nerve or a group of nerves is causing pain to a specific region, nerve blocks or nerve injections with local anesthetics are used to block the pain in that area.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist would advise a customized exercise program to increase function and motion and to bring pain relief. Physical therapy may also include ultrasound and deep-muscle massage. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a technique to stimulate nerve fibers through the skin to relieve pain.

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine is a cutting edge treatment that uses body’s natural healing potential to repair damage tissues, thereby relieving pain. Stem cell therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma therapy are commonly used, non-surgical regenerative medicine treatments for pain relief.

To know more about pain management or to discuss your case, visit Premier Pain and Spine or call 847-519-4701.

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