5 Reasons to Visit Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Specialists
CRPS is a difficult, painful, and confusing type of chronic pain. During this difficult time, complex regional pain syndrome specialists can help.
If you are dealing with pain of any kind, your goal is to eliminate that pain as soon as possible.
You may have tried many options on your own, from over the counter pain remedies to alternative therapies to visiting your family doctor.
With each visit to your doctor, you may receive a different diagnosis or a different avenue to try for pain relief.
Some of these efforts may have even paid off temporarily. But after a while, you notice the pain returning.
This may be the perfect time to visit Complex regional pain syndrome specialists (CRPSS) in your area.
How Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Specialists Can Help
You want the most qualified person helping you find solutions to your pain problem.
That is exactly what complex regional pain syndrome specialists are: a person with years of education and experience researching and learning how to help patients cope with pain that is not easily defined.
You may be hesitant to visit a specialist at first.
However, there are at least five reasons meeting with a specialist can benefit you in your search for pain relief.
1. They Know the Most About Complex Regional Pain
Becoming complex regional pain specialists does not happen right after someone completes medical school.
In fact, it takes completion of medical school, specialty studies and residencies before one can become a CRPS pain specialist.
If you have chronic pain, you want someone who is a master in the area of treating chronic pain.
Just like if you were pregnant you want to seek treatment from an obstetrician and if you have a broken leg, you want to seek help from an orthopedic.
You want to work with the professional who can not only diagnose you properly but explain exactly what CRPS is in a way that is easy to understand.
2. They Can Explain CRPS To You
Compelx regional pain syndrome specialists can:
- Teach you about the diagnosis
- Explore and explain why you may have it
- Tell you how they plan to help you treat it
CRPS is simply pain experienced in the arms, hands, elbows, knees and legs areas. It is pain that makes those areas very sensitive.
Unfortunately, the pain source is not always easy to identify. But specialists can distinguish if the pain is coming from a previous injury or if it is related to nerve damage.
For most people, CRPS is chronic and can vary in degree of pain. It can even change the temperature and color of the skin in the pain area.
The specialist can tell you how he or she plans to treat your CRPS.
It is rare a specialist will just give you medicines and send you home.
They are more focused on healing you rather than just treating your symptoms.
3. They Treat Your Whole Mental and Physical Being
Because CRPS can originate in multiple locations, including the nervous system, complex regional pain syndrome specialists find it beneficial to treat all of you, mentally and physically.
They know that mental health is connected to physical health and treating both at the same time can lead to positive results.
Chronic pain has been associated with depression and anxiety in many people.
It’s true, when you feel bad physically it is hard to be happy and cheery at the same time.
Pain makes you feel bad and if you feel bad long enough, your mental health can be affected.
Just the opposite can be true also, with many studies recognizing that those diagnosed with mental illness such as depression have noted also having aches and pains with no specific source.
This leads researchers to believe depression can cause unwanted pains.
Your doctor can’t treat your whole body alone. Instead, they use a team of professionals.
4. Use the Help of a Team of Specialists
Treating CRPS by treating the whole body is key to long-term relief.
Leading a healthy lifestyle, as well as practicing mindfulness can help in treating your pain.
Complex regional pain syndrome specialists know there are other treatment providers who can assist them in helping you overcome your CRPS.
Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is one way.
In this treatment, and electrical device, like a pacemaker, is placed under the skin and for several days, the nerves of the spinal cord are stimulated.
If you experience less pain during the trial period, you will likely be recommended to have a small pulse generator can be implanted into your body and is set to send signals to your body that help alleviate pain.
Mental Health Specialists
In addition to a spinal cord stimulation specialist, you will also be treated by a mental health provider or counselor.
They can address any mental health obstacles that may be contributing to your pain.
Physical Therapists
Physical therapy has been shown to help ease chronic pain when used in combination with other treatments.
Other Treatment Specialists
Other team members may include acupressure and acupuncture therapists, massage therapists and even naturopaths who can introduce you to vitamins and supplements for better health.
Utilizing all these therapies can help you better manage pain in times of unexpected flare ups.
They can also offer you additional tips on how to handle your chronic pain, on your own, in between sessions with your treatment providers.
5. They Provide Additional Tips for Managing Pain
It may be tempting to take an opioid when your pain becomes unmanageable. But in some cases, it may be too late.
Meaning, a single dose of your medicine may not be enough to alleviate all the pain. This is when it is most important to have additional tips for managing pain.
Your CRPS specialist can offer tips and teach you new trends they have learned within the industry.
Tips may range from taking a hot or cold bath to joining a group with others who also suffer with CRPS.
The main tip is for you to be in control of your pain management and to not allow your pain to be in charge.
Working with complex regional pain syndrome specialists can help you gain the control you need to live with and hopefully overcome your pain.