If you’ve been suffering from any kind of pain for a long period of time and you have not found relief, even after taking pain medications prescribed by your family physician, then you may be a good candidate to seek treatment from a pain center. Sometimes called a pain management clinic, a pain center is a healthcare facility that specializes in the diagnosis and management of chronic pain. A pain center works with patients to reduce or eliminate chronic pain with the goal of improving their quality of life. In addition to providing medical treatment, a pain center may also teach the patient skills to manage chronic pain on their own, how to improve their functionality and help identify goals to aid them in returning to their previous daily routines.
What is Chronic Pain?
An ongoing pain that lasts for more than 3-6 months is called chronic pain. This kind of pain usually remains even after the illness or injury that caused it has healed. Chronic pain can happen when signals of pain stay active in the nervous system for many months or even years. In some rarer cases, people may experience chronic pain even without a history of any injury or illness.
The American Academy of Pain Medicine has estimated that more than 1.5 billion people suffer from chronic pain in this world. In fact, chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability in the USA.
What Conditions Are Associated with Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is usually linked to some of these common conditions:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Headache
- Nerve pain
- Back pain
What Are the Effects of Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain leads to physical effects on the body of the patient, which can be stressful. These can include movement restriction, tense muscles, lack of energy and loss of sleep and appetite. It can also cause emotional effects on the patient like anger, depression, anxiety, irritation, fear of pain etc. Physical and emotional side-effects of chronic pain can make a person’s life miserable and can limit a person’s ability to return to regular work and fun activities.
How is Chronic Pain Treated?
There is no single treatment which can cure all kinds of chronic pains. However, there are many different ways to manage and treat specific painful conditions. The initial approach is to treat the underlying conditions that are causing pain. Treatment methods usually vary depending on the specific medical condition, disease and type of chronic pain.
At the Pain Center, a team of healthcare professionals work with the patient to develop a comprehensive treatment plan for managing and eliminating the pain. The focus is on the development of self-management skills along with lifestyle modifications and sincere efforts to enhance mental and physical health. The treatment plan also includes behavioral and psychological therapies.
What types of painful conditions are managed and treated at the Pain Center?
Treatment and management of the following conditions are available at the Pain Center:
When Should You See a Pain Specialist?
If you’ve been experiencing pain for 3-6 months and your primary doctor is unable to diagnose the cause of the pain or is unsure how to treat it, ask for a referral to a pain specialist.