Pain Treatment Options

The first step in pain management is scheduling an appointment with a pain management specialist to determine the cause of your pain and learn which pain management approach is often the most effective for your particular condition. There are many different non-surgical pain management options available. Treatment should address physical, social, emotional and vocational factors and address the whole person.

Medications

There are a lot of medications for pain treatment pain, both prescription and over-the-counter. It should be noted that opioids (narcotics) and benzodiazepines may not be the best options. Those pain treatments have some problems and long-term use of them can be harmful. Other types pain medication used include:

• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), including ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Steroids, like dexamethasone and prednisone, to alleviate inflammation and pain
• Antidepressants, which can improve sleep and alleviate pain
• Anti-seizure medications, which can be effective in treating pain related to nerve damage or injury

Therapy

Therapy can and should benefit both the mind and the body. You shouldn’t try to do this alone because the wrong therapy or improperly done therapy can do more harm than good. Your doctor can help match you with the right therapist.

• Physical Therapy is an important part of any pain management program and a physical therapist can tailor the right exercise regimen for you. Proper exercise slowly builds your tolerance and reduces your pain. You don’t want to end up overdoing it and giving up because it hurts.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy allows people to have a better understanding of what the pain is from, and what they can do about it. This therapy is really about understanding the role of pain in your life and what it actually means for you
• Meditation and Relaxation Techniques including visual imagery and biofeedback which teaches control over muscle tension, temperature, heart rate and more.
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy

X-Ray Guided Spinal Injections

X-ray guidance, also called fluoroscopy, allows the doctor to deliver steroids or other medication by injection accurately to your spine.

Ultrasound Guided Injections

Ultrasound is a wonderful tool that is employed to help with accuracy during an injection. These injections may be used to relieve pain from some medical conditions such as arthritis and tendinitis.The treatment may also be used to remove fluid from an area near a joint or to stop the fluid from coming back.

Platelet Rich Plasma Injections (PRP)

Platelet Rich Plasma Injections (PRP) is a treatment that can repair a range of orthopedic injuries which are difficult to treat. PRP has been shown to repair tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and nerves, and can even regrow tissue that has been frayed or damaged.

Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS)

Spinal cord stimulator uses electrical impulses to relieve chronic pain of the back, arms and legs. It is believed that electrical pulses prevent pain signals from being received by the brain. SCS candidates include people who suffer from neuropathic pain and for whom conservative treatments have failed.

Electrodiagnostic Studies

Electrodiagnostic Studies and Electrodiagnostic Testing are a commonly used technique to test the function of muscles and nerves. These studies are performed to determine the cause of back or neck pain, numbness/tingling and strength loss. Commonly diagnosed conditions include “pinched nerves” (radiculopathies), peripheral nerve injuries and muscle disease.

Intrathecal Pump Injections or Pain Pump Implant

Unlike medications that circulate throughout your body in your bloodstream, drug delivery therapy releases medication directly into the fluid surrounding your spinal cord, which may lead to fewer or more tolerable drug side effects. This is an efficient pain treatment for medicine delivery.

Stem Cell Injections & Regenerative Medicine

Stem cell injections can be a great addition or used alone for spine and musculoskeletal pain. Unfortunately, there is been a lot of marketing and hyper about these injections, and the public is often misled.