What is Pain Management and What Are My Options?

If you have been living with pain in any area of your body for an extended period of time, you are probably familiar with the phrase “pain management”. Many people suffer from conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, and other conditions that may gradually progress without the help of a pain management treatment plan. An effective pain management treatment program will usually involve multiple physicians and therapist that will work together to help reduce or eliminate your pain.

What is Pain Management?

Chronic pain conditions can stop you from playing your favorite sports, working or conducting normal day-to-day activities. The main purpose of pain management is to reduce your pain and increase your function to improve quality of life. Pain management usually involves a team effort, for instance, you may start off seeing a doctor because you have low back pain. That physician may prescribe you medication and recommend you see a physical therapist. If the physical therapist and the physician are able to eliminate your pain, your pain management treatment would stop.

However, if the physical therapist put you through an entire program and you were still in pain, she may recommend non-steroidal injections. All of these health practitioners will work together to help you reduce and eliminate your pain.

What are some of the pain treatment options?

• Medication – A physician may prescribe medication, like aspirin or ibuprofen initially to help cope with the pain.
• TENS – is a form of therapy that uses electrical nerve stimulation to help relieve pain. TENS involves connecting small pads that transmit electrical impulses to your nerve fibers. Tens is commonly used to treat muscle soreness and joint problems.
• Physical Therapy – PT is treatment that involves evaluation of your pain and injuries and is used to help increase your range of motion, strength, flexibility and overall physical function. Physcial therapy may be recommended early in your pain stages or after a surgery to help you get back to normal functionality faster.
• Alternative treatment – There are many alternative treatment options to choose but two of the more popular alternative treatments include acupuncture and integrative manual therapy.

Pain management will help you reduce or eliminate pain and typically will involve multiple doctors, therapist and physicians. All of these health practitioners have the same goal of helping you eliminate your pain or get to a more manageable level, so that you may conduct your normal day-to-day activities. If you are suffering from any pain, contact a physician at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute. Our orthopedic physicians will provide you the best comprehensive health services.

Schedule online Today.