Pain Management Clinics

No sane person wants to live with chronic pain. The adverse side effects of reckless consumption of painkillers are now driving many sufferers to pain management clinics. These clinics provide multiple approaches to pain management for the best possible results. According to a survey, nearly 60 percent of people with chronic pain undergoing treatment in a pain clinic for a year experience a significant reduction in their sufferings.

Some pain management clinics focus on a single method of treatment, like the injection of steroids to reduce inflammation, headache or back pain. Others provide more varied types of approaches.

Many clinics these days use multiple treatment providers employing specialists from various areas of medicine, who share information and coordinate care for the best possible results. These health care providers might include a neurologist, anesthesiologist, internist, family physician, physical medicine specialist, psychologist, psychiatrist and physical therapist.

Medications prescribed by a doctor in a pain clinic program include pain medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID), steroids to reduce inflammation, muscle relaxants or anti-anxiety medication to reduce tension, and antidepressants or anti-convulsants to help control specific types of nerve pain.

Pain clinics may also offer non-drug therapies including individual and/or family therapy, hot and cold therapy, physical therapy, biofeedback, massage, acupuncture, breathing exercises, self-hypnosis and TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation).

You must check whether the clinic is accredited or not before making a decision. Accreditation ensures that the program fulfils the basic requirements for appropriate medical care. Certification by the American Academy of Pain Management indicates that the clinic has gone through a thorough peer-reviewed compliance process that was established by pain practitioners. You should also look for certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Johns Hopkins Center, Mensana Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic are among the top pain clinics in the United States. Consult your physician to decide which one is appropriate for you.

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What is acupuncture?

The practice of piercing specific sites on the body, called pathways or meridians, with thin needles in an attempt to relieve pain associated with some chronic disorders.
An ancient Chinese method of healing. It aims to prevent and cure specific diseases and conditions by sticking very fine, solid needles into specific points on the body.
An ancient Chinese technique involving the insertion of fine needles just under the skin in specific locations in order to relieve pain and treat a wide variety of complaints. The World Health Organization says acupuncture can be beneficial in many medical conditions ranging from neurological and gastrointestinal to mental and emotional ones.