Pain Management Methods: A Variety Of Options

Chronic pain can be debilitating, and not solely in a physical sense. Suffering from pain can alter the way one lives one’s life. Their relationships with family and friends, their social lives, and their careers can call be heavily impacted by chronic pain. Pain can influence not only one’s physical state, but also their psychological state, as well. People who struggle with chronic pain often also struggle with negative emotions—depression, anger, despair, and helplessness. For these reasons and for many others as well, it is vital for those who suffer from pain to find some way to manage their pain and maintain a high quality of life.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be of major assistance in managing some types of pain. Of course, it isn’t always applicable, but it does offer many benefits which can assist certain people suffering from pain. Not only might physical therapy reduce some times of pain, it can also do the following:

• Increase flexibility
• Increase strength in one’s limbs and core
• Increase confidence

Even when these things might not directly affect the amount of pain the patient is feeling, they can contribute to pain management by helping the patient maintain functionality.

Medication

There is an incredible variety of different medications that can help with pain management. Because of the sheer number of medications which can be used, the combinations they can be used in, their different methods of action, and the different ways in which patients react to them, it takes a dedicated pain management physician to manage patient’s pain through medication. There are narcotic and opioid pain medications, muscle relaxers, and even antidepressant and anti-seizure medications which can be used to help a patient live a more pain-free life. Doctors must take into consideration side effects as well as the effectiveness of the medication in controlling pain.

Nerve Blocks and Surgeries

In some cases, nerve block injections can be used to control pain temporarily or intermittently. While these are a type of medication management, they are a very specialized way of managing pain and should be conducted at a hospital or pain management clinic in most cases. Nerve blocks stop the signals from certain pivotal nerves which are related to the patient’s pain.

Surgery may also be an option, especially when joint pain is involved. Surgeries can remove damaged cartilage or excess bone and reduce a patient’s pain in that manner.

Alternative Pain Management Methods

There are also alternative medicine approaches to pain management. These may include hypnosis, acupressure, acupuncture, chiropractor care, and massage. While these are deemed "alternative" medicine by some, they are routinely offered alongside traditional medicine at pain management facilities.

Pain management physicians will use the above methods, often in combination with one another, in order to help their patients regain the lives they thought that they had to give up due to their pain. Clinics may also offer counseling and psychological support to help patients that are struggling with painful symptoms.

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