Chronic Pain and Chronic Pain Management
The body naturally responds to harm or physical damage with pain. Illness or injury can cause the nerve endings to turn on and trigger the release of chemicals that send signals to the brain through the spinal cord which will then recognize the signals as pain. When pain lasts for a prolonged period of time it is called chronic pain. Chronic pain is usually caused by injury or illness and can be complicated when the source of the pain is unknown.
Generally, chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for 6 months or longer. Pain management is difficult because the pain varies from person to person. Additionally, chronic pain may change frequently going from severe to moderate and this too can make chronic pain management difficult to control. Pain management is a relatively new specialty in the medical field in which doctors respond to the critical needs of pain sufferers.
Chronic Pain Management Centers
Pain management is a specialized service that involves specialized doctors that have advanced medical training in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals who suffer from chronic pain. In many cases, chronic pain management centers will work in conjunction with nurses, physical therapists, and mental health professionals to provide advanced treatment and care for chronic pain.
Doctors and specialists at pain management centers recognize that there is no set cure for chronic pain so these people focus on managing the pain to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. Pain management centers know that there is no single treatment that will work for everyone or every type of chronic pain so it’s important to provide various levels and types of treatment to different patients. Additionally, pain, especially chronic pain, can change over time so treatments that once worked well may no longer provide the same relief over time and thus chronic pain management and treatment for chronic pain must be altered to fit the patients needs.
Levels of Chronic Pain Management
Pain management centers usually provide different levels of treatment for chronic pain. Normally, during the initial phases of chronic pain, the treatment levels are on a first tier in which the treatment is inexpensive and simple while treatment for chronic pain that is persistent may require more extensive therapies.
Chronic pain management treatment is provided in 3 levels: Conservative treatments for chronic pain, invasive treatments and advanced treatments for chronic pain. Upon thorough diagnosis of chronic pain by a doctor, patients will work with the doctor to decide on a best case treatment for their pain. Overall, treatment for chronic pain is a trial and error process which may take many steps, changes and treatments in order to get to a comfort level that is consistent for the patient.
Level 1 treatment for chronic pain includes behavioral modification, rehabilitation therapies, NSAIDS and over the counter pain medications. Exercise programs may also be implemented to better help the patient to overcome or cope with the chronic pain. This level of chronic pain management and treatment is the most conservative, least invasive, and least expensive of all the ways to treat and manage chronic pain.
Level 2 treatment for chronic pain includes slightly more invasive therapies. Thermal procedures, neurolysis, and other invasive procedures may be used to attempt to treat the chronic pain. Opioids are prescribed for pain relief and nerve blockers may also be prescribed in an effort to eliminate the pain. Level 2 pain treatments are more costly than level 1 therapies and are usually not prescribed until level 1 treatment for chronic pain has failed or become ineffective.
Finally, level 3 treatment for chronic pain includes advanced pain treatment methods that are invasive and expensive. Spinal cord stimulation may be used to reduce pain as may surgery or neuroablation. The doctor or pain management center may even implant a drug pump into the patient’s body to provide constant medication for pain relief. This phase of chronic pain management is primarily for those who have shown no results from previous treatments and for chronic pain that is severe and persistent.
