Pain Management

What is Pain Management?

Pain management is a branch of medical care which addresses the relief of acute or chronic pain. Pain can be triggered by a variety of factors, including acute injury, surgery, illness, or chronic conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. Effective pain management St Louis MO requires a comprehensive approach that consists of identifying the root causes of pain, assessing its severity, and creating a multidisciplinary treatment approach.

Pain management includes the use of clinical and nonclinical treatments to improve or resolve pain. Ultimately, the goal of all the treatments is to have an improved quality of life.

 

What kind of treatment modalities are used to treat pain?

Medications: Over-the-counter and prescription medications are commonly used for pain management. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, opioids, and muscle relaxants are among the medications used to manage pain. These are used during pain flares to get relief during that time.

Physical therapy: Physical therapy can help to decrease pain and improve quality of life through the use of exercises, stretches, and other techniques. Physical therapy can be helpful in pain management St Louis MO, which is triggered by means of musculoskeletal conditions or injuries. This may additionally include workouts to strengthen and stretch muscles.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy is a method to break the mental barriers that often exist in treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Oftentimes, patients are in a chronic cycle of pain. Cognitive behavioral therapy gives patients the tools to work through their thoughts surrounding processing of their pain with the ultimate goal being to break the chronic pain cycles.

Acupuncture: This alternative remedy involves the insertion of needles into precise points on the body to alleviate pain.

Massage therapy: Massage therapy can help to reduce muscle anxiety and improve circulation, which can help with pain management St Louis MO.

Heat and bloodless therapy: Heat can be applied to painful areas to extend blood flow and limit muscle tension, while bloodless therapy can assist to reduce irritation and numb painful areas.

Mind-body techniques: Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and visualization can help individuals to relax and decrease stress, which can as a result, reduce pain.

Effective pain management requires a personalized approach that takes into account the individual patient’s needs and goals, as well as the cause and severity of the pain. It is important for patients to work closely with their entire healthcare team to develop a comprehensive pain management St Louis MO plan that is safe and effective for his or her own specific needs.

What are the types of pain?

Acute pain: Acute pain is generally a type of pain that occurs suddenly and generally lasts for a shorter duration of time, ranging from a few seconds to a few weeks. It can occur due to an inciting event, such as an injury or accident; however it can also be due to a more serious medical condition, such as shingles or appendicitis. Acute pain improves with direct treatment of the injury or issue that is causing the pain. If you ever experience acute pain that does not improve, please reach out to your primary care doctor or in an emergency call 911.

Chronic pain: Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon which is characterized by a persistent and long-lasting pain which can last for more than three to six months. It has multiple causes, including an untreated or undertreated injury, illness or clinical condition. Chronic pain can occur from medical conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or nerve injury. It can manifest as a daily persistent pain or it can come and go. Oftentimes, the injury or illness causes a change in your body that makes it more sensitive to pain.

Neuropathic pain: Neuropathic pain is due to an injury or dysfunction in the nervous system. It occurs when your nervous system has sustained damage or is not working properly. Damaged nerve fibers send abnormal signals to the brain, which is perceived by the patient as pain. This type of pain is often described as a burning or shooting pain. It can be associated with medical conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, shingles, and alcoholism. Another cause for neuropathic pain is side effects from particular medications such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Inflammatory pain: Various forms of inflammatory disorders can lead to this type of pain and discomfort. Acute inflammation is the body’s response to a specific injury, such as a cut on a finger. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, occurs when your body thinks there is an area that needs healing which then causes a cycle of pain. This occurs in various conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Crohn’s disease.

Nociceptive pain: Nociceptors are sensory receptors that recognize a noxious, or intense, stimulation. This type of pain occurs when these receptors are activated. It is usually in response to an acute stimulus, such as bumping your head or touching a hot stove. Nociceptive pain is described as sharp, pricking, dull, aching or burning depending on the stimulus.

Phantom pain: Phantom pain is a type of pain that happens after the amputation of a part of the body, and is frequently described as a sensation of pain in the lacking limb.

Psychogenic pain: Psychogenic pain is triggered by psychological factors, such as anxiety or depression. It is often multifactorial and can be associated with chronic pain syndromes.

 

How do healthcare providers evaluate pain?

Pain is evaluated by a thorough history and physical exam. Pain is assessed based on the onset, quality, location, duration, and severity of symptoms. Scales for pain management St Louis MO are one of the main ways that healthcare providers assess for severity of pain. It helps to understand how severe the pain is for each individual. Each person processes the pain differently, thus the pain scale helps to delineate just how much the pain is interfering with his or her life.

Using a pain scale helps with:

  • The diagnostic process
  • Tracking the progression of a condition
  • Determining how well a treatment plan is working for the patient

 

Types of Pain Scales

Healthcare companies have at least eleven types of ache scales to pick out from. They commonly fall into one of three categories:

  1. Numerical rating scales (NRS): Uses numbers to rate the pain
  2. Visual analog scales (VAS): Uses pictures to match how the pain feels
  3. Categorical scales: Uses words, along with colors, number or location(s) on the body

 

There are at least ten scales that are available for healthcare providers to use. The scales may provide quantitative measurements, qualitative measurements, or both. No particular scale is better than the other, however they can be tailored to suit a particular patient’s needs and limitations.

 

How effective are pain management plans?

Pain management St Louis MO plans that are unique and tailored to each individual patient can be life-changing. As long as the patient is motivated and believes in the plan outlined by their healthcare provider, pain can be improved, managed and hopefully resolved. The goal is always to obtain an improved quality of life, even if not completely pain free.