ECPC Pain Relief Specialists in Caldwell County (2023)

FAQs

What is the difference between a pain management doctor and a pain medicine doctor? ›

The End Goal

On the other hand, pain medicine is often used as a “quick fix” rather than a long-term management solution. Acute pain is therefore treated using different pain medicines, while management strategies control chronic pain.

Will I be treated on the first visit to a pain management clinic? Your first visit will include taking a medical history, physical examination and reviewing any test or X-ray results. Your physician will develop a customized pain treatment plan based on your individual assessment.

Patients are seen in a pain clinic and can go home the same day. Pain management doctors offer a mix of medication-based treatments and procedures, that can stop the pain at its source.

If you have chronic pain, meaning pain that has lasted for over three months, your doctor may refer you to a pain clinic. If your pain is significantly affecting your life and daily functioning, you are more likely to be referred. You may be referred with or without a diagnosis for your chronic pain.

Key pain management strategies include: pain medicines. physical therapies (such as heat or cold packs, massage, hydrotherapy and exercise) psychological therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and meditation)

Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is usually recommended as a first line treatment for mild to moderate pain. It might be taken for pain due to a skin injury, headache, or conditions that affect the muscles and bones. Acetaminophen is often prescribed to help manage osteoarthritis and back pain.

Give the doctor more detail than saying you're “always” in pain, or “sometimes” in pain. Try something like: "I always feel some aching pain in this spot, but it's worse in the early mornings and it lasts about an hour."

Medication management

Whether you need a new prescription or a refill, your Pain Solutions provider can take care of all your medication needs through telemedicine. After your virtual appointment, they send your prescription directly to your preferred pharmacy.

Analgesics are medications used in the management and treatment of pain. They include several classes of medications (acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, antiepileptics, local anesthetics, and opioids).

When chronic pain becomes too much? ›

Additionally, an indicator that chronic pain has become too much to handle is when it begins to greatly impact one's quality of life. This means that the pain is so severe that the person experiencing it is unable to work, socialize, find joy in going out, care for themselves independently, or function in other ways.

If your pain management doesn't work, your doctor may recommend the following: Increased dosage. Change in prescription to a different drug category or class. Assessment for possible drug-drug interaction or drug-food interaction.

Your appointment with a pain management doctor will likely last around an hour. You'll discuss your medical history and current pain symptoms. The pain management doctor will perform a physical exam and possibly order tests. The doctor may order tests such as blood work or an MRI to help diagnose the pain.

Untreated or undertreated pain can rob people of the ability to function and can cause depression, irritability, sexual dysfunction and disruptions in sleeping, eating and mobility, according to Strassels and Dr. Eun-Ok Im of the School of Nursing. Proper treatment can help return people to their lives.

A red flag could be indicative of abuse or misuse, over or under compliance, drug-drug interactions, or a “forged or altered prescription.”

Go to a reputable pharmacy and ask for a dosage of your regular prescribed medication. ... If the pharmacist denies you the medication, then you are Red Flagged, as they would have to consult an online system that tracks when your next dosage should be given.

Deep-brain stimulation, or DBS, may offer an alternative to existing treatments. It is already used to treat epilepsy and movement disorders, and there is emerging evidence that it may be effective for chronic pain.

There are two main types of OTC pain medicines: acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are examples of OTC NSAIDs. If OTC medicines don't relieve your pain, your doctor may prescribe something stronger.

Fentanyl is a strong opioid painkiller. It's used to treat severe pain, for example during or after an operation or a serious injury, or pain from cancer. It is also used for other types of pain that you've had for a long time when weaker painkillers have stopped working. Fentanyl is available only on prescription.

What painkiller is used for severe pain? ›

Narcotics (also called opioids) are used for moderate to severe pain and require a doctor's prescription. They may be habit-forming. They can also be dangerous when taken with alcohol or certain other drugs. Examples of narcotics are codeine, morphine, and oxycodone.

Most plans for managing long-term pain include simple pain-relief medications: paracetamol and NSAIDs. However, if pain continues or becomes more severe, stronger medication may be needed. This will usually be opiate-based and can include codeine, tramadol or morphine.

Staying aware of your patient rights: Your physician is allowed to deny you a prescription for pain medication, but you also have the right to learn about your other treatment options and choose the option best suited to your needs.

You could have other medical conditions that are affecting the way your medications work. Hormonal issues, poor metabolism, poor sleep, high blood pressure, or stomach conditions could change the effect of your medications.

As a rule of thumb, if unnecessary delays in care may cause irreparable harm, physicians can face legal liability for their refusal to treat. If you need urgent medical attention, and a doctor refuses to treat you, you can pursue a medical malpractice suit against the physician and/or the establishment they work for.

They include secukinumab, ixekizumab, and ustekinumab. Rituximab. This drug works by depleting B cells – white blood cells that play a role in the immune response and are involved in the formation of autoantibodies. Abatacept.

What are some alternatives to opioids? There are many non-opioid pain medications that are available over the counter or by prescription, such as ibuprofen (Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin (Bayer), and steroids, and some patients find that these are all they need.

Chronic pain can be managed effectively without medication; it can even be reduced and overcome! There's no shame in taking medication if it helps you to manage your symptoms, but knowing there are other options out there can help you to make an informed choice about what is best for you.

What pain level is considered severe? ›

There are many different kinds of pain scales, but a common one is a numerical scale from 0 to 10. Here, 0 means you have no pain; one to three means mild pain; four to seven is considered moderate pain; eight and above is severe pain.

Severe pain is defined as pain that interferes with some or all of the activities of daily living. May cause bed confinement or chair rest because of the severity. Typically doesn't go away, and treatment needs to be continuous for days, weeks, months, or years.

Aging has also been linked to an increase in the pain threshold, a decline of painful sensations, and a decrease in pain tolerance. Still, elderly patients with chronic pain show an increased risk for dementia and cognitive impairment.

How long to take it for. If you have epilepsy, it's likely that once your condition is under control you'll still need to take gabapentin for many years. If you have nerve pain, once your pain has gone you'll continue to take gabapentin for several months or longer to stop it coming back.

It should start working within the hour and last for around five hours. Though paracetamol is safe for most people, your doctor may advise against using it if you have another health issue.

It may take longer (up to 2 months) to get to the right dose for you and to allow the medicine to build up in your body. Gabapentin does not work for everyone. If you do not feel any improvement in your pain after 6 – 8 weeks, do not suddenly stop taking the tablets but speak to your doctor.

How is chronic pain diagnosed? Pain is considered to be chronic if it lasts or comes and goes (recurs) for more than three months. Pain is usually a symptom, so your healthcare provider needs to determine what's causing your pain, if possible.

The SSA does not consider chronic pain to be a disability, so there is no listing for it in the SSA's Blue Book. Chronic pain, even if it is severe and disabling, does not qualify unless you can prove it is caused by a verifiable condition that lasts for at least 12 months.

One approach is to take your pain medication right before bed. Check with your doctor to be sure that fits into your treatment plan. If pain does wake you in the middle of the night, first try meditation, visualization, or whatever relaxing distraction you favor.

What is another name for a pain management doctor? ›

Although called pain medicine or interventional pain management specialists, many of these doctors are anesthesiologists or physiatrists.

A “pain doctor,” also called a “pain specialist,” or “pain management specialist,” is a medical doctor (M.D.) or doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) who specializes in pain medicine. Pain management doctors have specialized training to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prevent many different types of pain.

One type of doctor skilled in treating pain is a physiatrist – pronounced fizz-EYE-a-trist – not to be confused with a podiatrist or psychiatrist. Trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiatrists are highly skilled at diagnosing and treating acute pain, chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders.

Pain management doctors – physicians who specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of pain – have advanced training that qualifies them as your best source of treatment if you are experiencing any type of pain due to illness or injury.

“A physiatrist is the primary care doctor of the back,” he explains. Physiatrists are fully focused on diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal (muscle and bone) issues, so they may have more specialized knowledge than a PCP.

Neurologists are specialists who treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles.

Both physical therapy and medicine work differently to help manage pain, and there are benefits and disadvantages to each pain management route. While medication helps to reduce discomfort and pain temporarily, physical therapy has many more goals, including: Increasing mobility and strength. Improving function.

Orthopedic specialists can perform surgical and non-surgical treatments. This is a big difference when compared to pain management doctors, who are generally not trained to perform surgery.

The major difference between a pain management physician and an orthopedic surgeon is that a pain management physician is trained to treat all types of pain, in a non-surgical manner.

Multimodal therapy (including medicines, physical therapy, psychological counseling and sometimes surgery) is usually required to treat neuropathic pain. Medicines commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain include anti-seizure drugs such as: Gabapentin (Neurontin®). Pregabalin (Lyrica®).

What kind of doctor treats chronic muscle pain? ›

Physiatrists or Rehabilitation Physicians

Injuries and conditions that affect how you move. They diagnose and treat pain related to nerves, muscles, and bones including carpal tunnel, neck and back pain, sports and work injuries, herniated discs, arthritis, pinched nerves, and concussions without the use of surgery.

Medical management of chronic pain, including medicine management: Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, or acetaminophen. Prescription pain medicines, including opioids, may be needed to provide stronger pain relief than aspirin.

Overview. A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons. This pressure can cause pain, tingling, numbness or weakness. A pinched nerve can occur in many areas throughout the body.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDs

NSAIDs are most effective for mild to moderate pain that occurs with swelling and inflammation. These medications are commonly used for arthritis and pain resulting from muscle sprains, strains, back and neck injuries, or menstrual cramps.