Pain Management Treatment Helps You Find Relief

If you find yourself dealing with pain on a nearly daily basis, then you know what a struggle it can be. Even simple tasks such as getting ready to head out the door can be a challenge and you likely notice that your quality of life is much lower than it once was. Perhaps you find yourself relying on pain pills just to make it through the day. While pain pills may help dull the pain for a while, it is important to recognize that it is only a temporary fix and pain pills come with potentially negative side effects. The best thing you can do for yourself is find the cause of your pain and see what longer term pain management treatment options are out there.

Living in Southern California brings opportunities for all sorts of activities.  There are thousands of trails to hike, beaches to visit, and towns to walk around.  When your pain begins to bother you, none of these options seem possible.  If you want to be able to enjoy your surroundings, finding a pain management treatment center that helps should be first on your list.  From San Diego to Los Angeles, and Thousand Oaks to Santa Barbara, the potential activities are endless, but pain can definitely be a road block.

Causes of Pain

There are many possible causes of pain. Perhaps you are feeling the effects of a serious car accident years ago. It could be that you have experienced migraines all your life and no doctor can tell you why you get them. No matter what the case, finding the cause of your pain is important to determine the proper treatment options. Thankfully, there are treatment options out there that can help determine the cause, so that you can find relief from your pain.

Types of Pain Management Treatments

Once you have determined what is causing your pain, you will have a better idea of which pain management treatment strategies are best for you. Finding a treatment that is minimally invasive is a good idea in order to reduce the risk of negative side effects. The great thing about minimally invasive treatments is that many of them can be just as effective, if not more effective, than more invasive options such as surgery. As you likely know, surgery is a major procedure. Recovery time can be a long and hard process, and sometimes the surgery is only effective for a few years. Getting minimally invasive treatment for your chronic pain is the best thing you can do to get relief from your pain and start living your life again.

Pain management treatment varies tremendously from person to person. This makes sense given that no single patient and condition is exactly alike. To begin with, there can be a range of causes for the pain a person suffers. Surgeries such as mastectomies, chronic conditions like arthritis, and overuse injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome all cause pain. Different treatments work best for each type of condition. A patient’s particular response to a medication or treatment technique can also vary significantly.

Similarly, there are a wide range of treatments available to target pain. These include the plain vanilla variety, such as over-the-counter medications, to more powerful options, such as narcotics, to less mainstream options like biofeedback. There is a lot of diversity out there, and patients often find that a combination of treatments will work best to reduce their pain to a level that is comfortable. Frequently, a patient will be unable to be completely pain-free. Doctors always walk a balance between providing enough pain relief while also avoiding drug dependence and other side effects.

The most common pain management treatment options include drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Patients may also use topical medications, such as creams and lotions, to reduce discomfort from arthritis or muscle soreness. Doctors sometimes prescribe stronger drugs, including muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety medications, and a short course of more severe painkillers.  These stronger painkillers, such as Fentanyl, Percocet, and Vicodin, must be handled especially carefully because of the risk of dependency for these drugs. These stronger drugs can come in several different forms, including oral pills, liquids, medications that dissolve under the tongue, and even topical patches.

Another powerful type of treatment is a nerve block. This technique is only available where a group of nerves is causing pain to a particular organ or region of the body. As long as it is not too dangerous, doctors may stop the pain with a local injection that numbs the nerves. There are several other types of injections that may be appropriate as well. Clearly, pain management treatment varies hugely, making it likely that a patient will be able to use one or several options to get the relief they need.

By Dr. James  Lin
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