asked:
Interventional Pain Management: Approach to Chronic Pain
Pain treatment begins with an assessment of the severity of the pain. Commonly, the first steps of treatment are rest, application of cold or heat and intake of OTC (over the counter) medication. The next step in the treatment of pain is a combination of physical therapy and prescribed pain medication. It is important to note that sometimes, interventional pain management needs to be started prior to Physical Therapy in order to stop acute pain (i.e. acute radiculopathy) and allow the patient to comply with necessary exercise. If prescribed pain medication and physical therapy don’t work, the next step is usually interventional pain management, unless the patient has acute loss of function or acute neurological deficit (in which case surgery is needed. However, even after surgery interventional pain management has a very important role in the treatment of patients, especially when all other options are exhausted (eg. “failed back surgery” syndrome).
The Specialty of “Pain Management” has progressed significantly in the last 20 years through a better understanding of anatomy and physiology, and through advances in pharmacology and technology.
The goals of interventional pain management are to relieve, reduce, or manage pain and improve a patient’s overall quality of life through minimally invasive techniques specifically designed to diagnose and treat painful conditions. Interventional pain management also strives to help patients return to their everyday activities quickly and without heavy reliance on medications. Often other treatments are include such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and lifestyle modification (such as exercise, diet, and smoking cessation) to further enhance these procedures.
Interventional Pain Management: Approach to Chronic Pain
Pain treatment begins with an assessment of the severity of the pain. Commonly, the first steps of treatment are rest, application of cold or heat and intake of OTC (over the counter) medication. The next step in the treatment of pain is a combination of physical therapy and prescribed pain medication. It is important to note that sometimes, interventional pain management needs to be started prior to Physical Therapy in order to stop acute pain (i.e. acute radiculopathy) and allow the patient to comply with necessary exercise. If prescribed pain medication and physical therapy don’t work, the next step is usually interventional pain management, unless the patient has acute loss of function or acute neurological deficit (in which case surgery is needed. However, even after surgery interventional pain management has a very important role in the treatment of patients, especially when all other options are exhausted (eg. “failed back surgery” syndrome).
The Specialty of “Pain Management” has progressed significantly in the last 20 years through a better understanding of anatomy and physiology, and through advances in pharmacology and technology.
The goals of interventional pain management are to relieve, reduce, or manage pain and improve a patient’s overall quality of life through minimally invasive techniques specifically designed to diagnose and treat painful conditions. Interventional pain management also strives to help patients return to their everyday activities quickly and without heavy reliance on medications. Often other treatments are include such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and lifestyle modification (such as exercise, diet, and smoking cessation) to further enhance these procedures.
