Options for Pain Sufferers
If you are in chronic pain, chances are, you know it. Being in constant pain can suck the joy out
of life and be quite devastating. But what is pain exactly? Why do our bodies experience pain
and what are some treatment options for pain management?
Pain is difficult to define because people perceive and tolerate pain differently. Basically, pain is
the way the brain interprets signals from what our bodies are experiencing. Pain can be useful
to alert us about an injury or illness that we have. Oftentimes, when the stimulus is removed or
illness treated, the pain goes away. Unfortunately, many people experience pain that is ongoing. Treating this pain is difficult, but we will go over different options for pain sufferers.
How pain is treated varies from person to person. Short-term (acute) pain is treated differently
than ongoing (chronic) pain. Acute pain may be stopped with just a single treatment or series of
treatments. A broken arm, for example, may be painful at first but then may heal quite nicely
and the pain will disappear. Pain that goes along with a disease process, such as cancer, cannot
be removed in many cases, so it must be managed with a combination of medical, psychological
and rehabilitation techniques.
What are some tools for pain sufferers? Interventional pain procedures and complementary
treatments can be beneficial for decreasing or curing pain. Interventional treatments are
minimally invasive, and vary from injections to radiofrequency procedures to spinal cord
stimulation. Complementary treatments are non-traditional approaches to medicine that can be
used in conjunction with mainstream medicine. Some types of complementary treatments are
massage, acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic care and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Pain can be devastating for sufferers and their loved ones. Both chronic and acute pain can be
debilitating. A good treatment program is essential for helping those in need live fuller lives. The
key to successful pain management is developing a plan tailored for the individual using a
variety of approaches that complement each other. A combination of interventional procedures
and complementary treatments is ideal for many patients. A pain treatment regimen may also
need to be tweaked and changed over time as symptoms change or conditions progress.
By Dr. James Lin
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