Pain is your body’s way of telling you that there’s something wrong. And sometimes, it can be debilitating or crippling, especially in the event of a traumatic crash or the development of specific illnesses.
The treatment for these conditions may involve surgical and nonsurgical methods. However, severe discomfort can persist and take a toll on a person’s life. With limited options, individuals suffering from these types of pain can find relief with the help of a pain management clinic.
But what is a pain management clinic and which types of therapies do they offer? Discover the answers in this article.
What Is A Pain Management Clinic?
A pain management clinic is a healthcare facility that helps with the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of pain through different types of treatments. These can be in the form of psychological, behavioral, and physical methods.
Some clinics may focus on only one part of the body, such as back pain and neuropathic pain. Others take a holistic approach, employing a multidisciplinary team of experts that include surgeons, oncologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, among other medical professionals.
7 Types Of Pain Management Treatments
If pain medications and other treatments no longer work to relieve a patient, a pain management clinic can come to the rescue using some of the following methods:
TENS Therapy
This acronym stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which is one of the more common approaches to address different types of pain. As its name suggests, a low-voltage electrical current is administered through the area of the patient’s skin where the source of pain is located.
TENS therapy functions by stirring the nerves in the affected area, interfering with the pain signals as they make their way to the brain. When mixed with other types of treatments, this method may be effective in postoperative, joint, and nerve pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Treatment
Similar to TENS therapy, an RFA treatment targets the nerve tissues to prevent them from transmitting pain signals. However, the latter uses a high-frequency electrical current to heat up the nerve tissues and manipulate pain signals.
An RFA treatment has lasting effects for persons suffering from chronic lower back, neck, and arthritic joint pains—especially spondylosis. Persons who are advised to undergo RFA are typically those who’ve tried oral medications, physical therapy, nerve black treatments, and other more conservative forms of treatment.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
This is a relatively newer and more invasive way to manage and treat chronic pain. In spinal cord stimulation, a surgeon implants a device along the spine and under your skin. This device, called a spinal cord stimulator, provides low-voltage electrical currents to the spinal cord to make the nervous system less sensitive to pain.
Bioelectric Therapy
This pain relief method also aims to manipulate and block the pain signals toward the nervous system, making one less susceptible to feeling severe discomfort. Apart from helping manage pain, bioelectric therapy is said to trigger the human body into releasing endorphins—the hormones responsible for elevating pleasure, as well as reducing pain and discomfort.
Patients suffering from acute and chronic pain located in different parts of the body such as migraines, back pain, and arthritis, can benefit from this type of treatment.
Nerve Blocks
This pain relief method works using the same principle as the others: by interfering with how the pain signals are transmitted to the brain. In this type of treatment, a physician injects a substance such as alcohol or phenol on the nerves of the spine.
Nerve blocks are used in either diagnosing the pain source or in treating chronic pain where medications and other drugs have proven ineffective.
Physical Therapy Program
Contrary to common perception, a physical therapy program isn’t only useful for restoring physical function and mobility. It’s also one of the many nonsurgical ways to help inhibit pain in some individuals.
People who suffer from pinched nerves or muscle compression are the best candidates for physical therapy. By performing several methods such as massage, joint control, and electrical stimulation, a physical therapist can help minimize the strain and help reduce pain.
Acupuncture
This traditional Chinese medical practice is being used as an alternative method for alleviating pain. A practitioner places thin needles on specific points of the body to stimulate the healing process.
Persons suffering from back, neck, and knee pain may benefit from this treatment, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. While it may be effective as a short-term treatment, acupuncture may not be ideal as a long-term pain management therapy.
Final Thoughts
Chronic and debilitating may be caused by numerous factors. To address the problem, it’s best to seek the help of a medical specialist to pinpoint the source of pain and manage it more efficiently.
A pain management clinic can help alleviate pain in sufferers who’ve tried but failed to feel better using non-surgical methods. By providing you with access to several treatments, professionals in these pain centers can help you choose the most ideal therapy for your situation.