Pain Management

What Is Pain Management?

If you’re living with pain, it may be causing you difficulty getting enough sleep and performing day to day tasks. The causes may vary from injuries, such as back strains or herniated discs, to one of a number of chronic pain conditions which affect over 100 million Americans. Pain management can cover a similarly broad number of practices which aim to improve our patients’ comfort and quality of life. Whenever possible, we try to help our patients find pain relief through non-pharmaceutical methods such as exercises, physical therapy, targeted injections, and lifestyle recommendations.

How Do You Prepare For A Pain Management Appointment?

It’s a good idea to keep a pain diary before your first appointment for pain management. The more detailed you can be about the history and nature of your pain problem, the better-equipped your doctor will be to address your needs. Tell your doctor whether you have taken any prescription medication for your pain in the past and bring a copy of any current prescription you may have to your appointment. It’s also a good idea to write down a list of any questions or concerns you might want to share with your physician.

Why Is Pain Management Performed?

Pain can cause all kinds of disruptions in your everyday life, making it difficult to sleep, exercise, and do a variety of everyday tasks. Pain management protocols are intended to help reduce pain symptoms, improve function and mobility, and elevate quality of life for people living with pain. Studies have shown that comprehensive pain management can dramatically increase feelings of physical and emotional wellbeing. A short-term protocol may be helpful for someone recovering from an injury, but it can also be used over a longer period of time to help cope with the painful symptoms of chronic conditions such as migraines or sciatica.

What Can You Expect During A Pain Management Appointment?

Your doctor will begin by reviewing your medical history with you, going over results from previous tests and performing one or more diagnostic procedures, which may include a physical exam or X-ray. Your physician will craft a customized pain management protocol which may include exercises you can do, changes to lifestyle factors such as diet, or physical therapy. At Be Well, we also offer Trigger Point and Peripheral Joint Injections. These injections relieve muscle pain by targeting specific problem areas. Unless absolutely necessary, we believe in a non-medicinal approach to pain treatment, as many pain medications can cause addiction and other side effects.

What Is The Followup And Recovery Like For Pain Management?

Depending on the results of your initial examination, your doctor may schedule future appointments for injections or physical therapy. You should continue keeping a pain diary and tracking your symptoms to monitor progress going forward so that your customized plan can be adjusted accordingly.

What Are The Potential Costs To Pain Management?

Your level of coverage may vary based on the treatments prescribed by your physician. Contact your insurance company to find out which parts of your pain management protocol will be covered.

What Are The Potential Risks To Pain Management?

There is always a possibility that the treatments and activities prescribed by your doctor will not be effective at reducing your overall pain level. Pain medications can also be addictive, which is why we avoid prescribing medicinal treatments whenever possible.

Are There Other Related Treatments?

There are a number of possible treatments that fall under the pain management umbrella. These include Trigger Point Injections and Physical Therapy.