Pain is a common symptom of many medical conditions. Patients with cancer, coronary disease, orthopedic disorders, arthritis, and other chronic conditions are often in pain. Pain can decrease the patient’s quality of life by limiting mobility, decreasing appetite, and interfering with sleep. Managing pain can make life a lot more tolerable. Dr. Clement Yeh offers pain management to the citizens of Texas. Pain management is a medical specialty that focuses on assisting pain persons to obtain relief. The following are a few things you should know about pain management:
Who Needs Pain Management?
The people who need pain management include those with chronic health conditions such as:
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Back and neck pain
- Muscular and skeletal disorders (for example, fibromyalgia)
- Liver or kidney disease that may cause organ failure and consequent pain
Just about any medical condition that causes pain can be treated with pain management. Chronic conditions, such as arthritis and cancer, frequently cause pain requiring treatment. Acute injuries and surgeries often require treatments to manage the pain that results from these experiences.
Pain Management Treatments
Many treatment options are available for pain management. Patients can be treated with medications that aid in decreasing the experience of pain without loss of other physical or cognitive abilities that may occur with narcotic medications, such as sedation and respiratory depression. Nerve blocks may also diminish pain by interrupting the pathways responsible for pain signals to the brain. Other methods, such as heat therapy or ice therapy, injectable therapies, and acupuncture, may also relieve various types of pain.
Avoiding Unnecessary Tests
Patients who experience chronic debilitating pain should undergo testing before starting an unnecessary course of treatment that might not be effective or might even prove harmful. Initial pain management strategies should include the least invasive and risky treatments possible before considering more aggressive therapies such as surgery.
If your doctor prescribes an unnecessary test, ask for the reason that supports the need for the examination and discuss how it will help relieve your pain or further diagnose your condition. You may want to seek a second opinion from another doctor if you disagree with the course of treatment recommended by your doctor and feel that you should consider other options first.
The goal of pain management is to decrease suffering from pain and limit damage to our bodies caused by untreated chronic pain. Chronic untreated pain can have debilitating effects on a patient’s quality of life, so doctors are encouraged to consider all options before resorting to surgery or other invasive procedures.
Take control of your health and let your doctor know if you are experiencing unnecessary pain to implement the most effective treatment plan. If you want more pain management information, speak with your primary care physician.
The article provides a broad but concise outline of the reader’s need to know about pain management. In addition, an example is included that shows how people can take control of their health by speaking up to their doctor when they feel that treatment is unnecessary or ineffective in relieving their pain.· Chronic health conditions such as cancer and arthritis cause pain which is why it is essential to be treated by a doctor.
