Pain management is the term given to the various methods used to treat those suffering with pain for whatever reasons. While pain is felt by everyone from time to time (after all, it is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong), some people struggle with ongoing, or chronic pain, for which there is no obvious cause. For these individuals, a plan is usually created by a team of professionals known as pain management doctors, such as those who work at KindlyMD.
What is the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain?
Acute pain is the pain that most of us have experienced and is the body’s response to an illness or injury. For example, if you bang your head or fall and fracture a bone in your arm, you are likely to feel pain associated with the injury. This pain will start suddenly and will last until the injury has been treated.
Chronic pain is persistent pain that may or may not have a clear cause. People with health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, arthritis, diabetes, or cancer may struggle with ongoing pain associated with their illness. Others may not be able to identify the cause of the pain. Regardless of the cause though, pain is considered chronic if it continues for longer than three months and does not respond to medication.
How is Pain Managed?
Pain is managed in a variety of ways, and it usually depends on whether it is acute or chronic as well as the cause of the pain. For example, if the pain is the result of an injury to a specific part of the body, a doctor might recommend that the affected part is rested and that heat or ice is applied periodically to reduce inflammation. Pain killers or anti-inflammatory drugs may also be prescribed, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the acute pain is in response to a surgical procedure, stronger medications such as opioids may be given.
When it comes to chronic pain that persists despite medication, other treatments may be necessary. This is where pain management doctors come in. These physicians are experts in the management of ongoing pain or pain that does not respond to traditional medication. They will evaluate each person’s circumstances to determine the root cause of the pain and will then create a plan that is tailored to the patient.
The typical first type of treatment used by a pain management clinic will involve medication of some description. If the patient has already tried the usual medications, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, the pain management doctor might try nerve blockers to numb the pain. Sometimes a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) machine will be used. TENS machines are frequently used in labor wards to help reduce the pain of contractions. This machine delivers very low-voltage electrical currents to painful parts of the body via skin pads.
Other treatments could also be used such as physical therapy, exercise, acupuncture, meditation, and diet changes.
Pain doctors work closely with their patients to find a treatment that works for them. Medication is not always the best treatment for ongoing pain. For example, chronic back pain could actually be caused by poor posture. If this is the cause, the doctor will typically recommend physical therapy plus ongoing exercises to help deal with the underlying cause.
Alternatively, it could be that a person’s weight is putting stress on their knees. In this case, the doctor might recommend that the patient try to lose some weight by changing their diet and incorporating more exercise into their daily routine.
