Coping With Chronic Pain Management

Chronic pain can become unbearable and many people who are suffering from it can often become suicidal as they tire of a life filled with chronic pain. Pain management can help patients were suffering from chronic pain due to a wide variety of conditions get some relief and maintain some control over their lives. Chronic pain can be the result of a wide number of medical conditions including cancer, migraines, muscle pain, back and neck pain or fibromyalgia to just list a few.

If you're suffering from chronic pain, it may be time to have a reassessment by a doctor who can look at what medications you are taking and work in conjunction with medical care providers such as your primary physician, neurologist, psychiatrist and physical therapist and others who are involved in your care. A doctor who specializes in managing chronic pain will start by doing an evaluation of your medical history and a physical exam to come up with a treatment plan that will help keep future pain under tighter control.

Part of your treatment plan may include blocking the pain at the nerve source by injecting a nerve numbing substance into specific areas of the body that are experiencing chronic pain. There is a wide variety of nerve blocks that are used for different aspects of your pain management. For example, therapeutic nerve blocks contain local anesthesia and are used to control acute pain. Diagnostic nerve blocks contain an anesthetic that gives some brief periods of relief and are used while the physician attempts to locate the actual source of pain that you are experiencing.

If your physician feels your pain management requires a long-term solution such as surgery, they may use a prognostic nerve block that helps predict the eventual outcome of your surgery. By the same token your physician may use nerve block to avoid surgery, depending on how severe your pain is and how successful the nerve blocks are in controlling your pain levels. Most doctors who specialize in managing chronic pain have several goals for their patients, including reducing the severity of their medical condition, teaching patients effective stress management skills to handle their pain and restoring their overall health. 

The ultimate goal of pain management therapy is to help increase the quality of patient life and minimize the pain that patients experience. It's not always possible to completely eliminate chronic pain; however it may be possible to at least minimize the amount of pain that patients are experiencing.

When you interview a physician regarding your care, there are some basic questions you can ask to ensure the quality of your care will meet your expectations, including what type of credentials the physician holds in chronic pain management and getting references from former patients. You should also ask how long most patients stay in care before they are able to manage their pain levels on their own or without constant intervention.