When you go to a pain management center, your doctor may ask you what your goals are. They want to know your goals of pain management and what you expect to get out of the treatment. While the most obvious goals is to reduce or eliminate the pain, you may have other needs that should be addressed. When you go to your appointment, consider some of the following ways pain management in Ventura County can put together a treatment plan to help you function more efficiently in your daily activities.

If you are using medication to treat your pain, you may be worried about side effects and sustainable benefits from the drugs. One of your goals of pain management could be to find medications that won’t leave you addicted over the long term while still helping you function day to day. Read more »

Can positive thinking ease your back pain? It may not be the only answer you need, but a positive outlook can certainly have an impact on your pain relief. There are some significant studies supporting this claim. In fact, doctors have may have understood this philosophy for a long time as they try to set their clients at ease before beginning a treatment. This is because even decreasing the expectation of pain can have an effect on how much pain the person experiences. Your own expectations and perceptions of your pain can actually affect how your brain processes that pain, either increasing or decreasing your experience of pain. Read more »

Back pain can prevent you from enjoying life to the degree that you once believed possible. Today, a surprising majority of Americans suffer a back injury sometime during their life. Many of these people look for relief in a bottle of over-the-counter medications or go to their doctors seeking stronger medicines. These choices may be effective, but they often have long term consequences, such as stomach ulcers. Rather than adding to your injuries, choose a course of natural solution to back pain.

One of the first steps to finding a natural solution to back pain is to recognize what is causing your pain. Some of the most common causes include injuries, physical changes brought on as you age, improper lifting, and some types of medical conditions. As you recognize the causes of the pain, you will be prepared to find the right treatment. Read more »

What’s the difference between complementary therapies or alternative therapies? These terms are being used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different healthcare approaches. If you’re suffering from pain, a pain management center may help by offering complementary therapies in addition to the conventional treatments. Your doctor will take into account all of your goals and needs when developing a treatment plan to manage your chronic pain.

Conventional medicine is the treatment your doctor provides. Identifying the source of the pain and treating it with drugs, physical therapy, neurological approaches, and surgery would be examples of mainstream medicine. Your insurance generally only covers conventional medicine treatments.

Complementary therapy refers to using non-mainstream treatments in addition to conventional medicine. Activities such as acupuncture, yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback, and massage are integrated into your treatment plan with your doctor’s support. Even dietary changes and therapeutic touch could be complementary therapy. Your pain management center will have these treatment providers. Read more »