Chronic Pain
Dedicate yourself to a higher quality of healthcare!
Chronic Pain Management at CareFront Medical Group
Our expert doctors, physical therapists and psychologists work in unison to come up with a focused treatment plan that fits you exactly.We empathize with patients struggling with any form of pain condition, whether it be neuropathic pain, chronic low back pain, or fibromyalgia. Our goal is to treat your medical conditions and perform interventional procedures with unparalleled expertise. Our staff encourages patients to seek wellness via rehabilitation programs and psychotherapy means. Therefore, we aim at assisting you to discover methods of improving your health and welfare.
Trust in CareFront Medical Group
If you’re ready to take the next step toward better health, locate your nearest CareFront Medical Group and schedule an appointment today.
What is Chronic Pain?
Many people suffer intense pain for long durations, weeks, or months beyond the usual healing time. In contrast to acute pain, an indicator of mechanical injury that usually disappears after the cause has been removed, chronic pain persists long after the original cause has gone away. The intensity can vary from mild to severe and may be anywhere in the body.
Causes of Chronic Pain:
There are many reasons for chronic pain, some of which include:
- Injury: Chronic pain can result from traumatic injuries such as broken bones, strains, or severe trauma following an accident that never heals well.
- Medical Conditions: Chronic pain can also be caused by medical conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer. These conditions could cause inflammation, nerve damage, or other changes in function.
- Surgery: Some people have the misfortune of developing chronic pain after an operation, known as post-surgical or postoperative pain, due to things like damaged nerves, formation of scar tissue, etc.
- Psychological factors: Emotional stress, anxiety, and depression are some psychological factors that may make chronic pain worse or even cause it. Chronic pain can also lead to psychological suffering, leading to a vicious cycle of pain and emotional suffering.
- Sedentary lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, excessive weight gain, and such unhealthy habits as smoking or excessive drinking tend to increase the chances of having chronic pain or increase the severity of its symptoms.
Symptoms of Chronic Pain:
The indications of chronic discomfort are not the same for everybody, as they depend on the underlying problem and individual aspects. Frequently, those include:
- Pain that goes beyond the anticipated healing period
- Dull pain
- Intense or shooting pain
- Burning sensations or tingling feelings
- Limited range of motion and stiffness
- Loss of energy and disturbances in sleep patterns
- Changes in disposition like irritability, fearfulness, or depression
Diagnosis of Chronic Pain:
The identification of chronic pain is through a comprehensive assessment done by a medical expert, who can be a pain specialist, neurologist or primary care physician. Diagnosis may include:
- Personal Medical History: Your past injuries, diseases you have experienced, surgeries that you may have gone through, drugs that you were using and family history of chronic pain and related disorders will be explored.
- Bodily Inspection: A full physical examination would determine the overall health status, mobility ability as well as any signs of inflammation or injury causing the pain.
- Diagnostic Tests: X-ray, MRI, CT scan, EMG (electromyography) or nerve conduction studies and blood tests are among diagnostic testing that might be ordered depending on your symptoms and medical history to diagnose the causes of your pain.
- Pain Assessment: Your healthcare provider will assess your pain using pain scales or questionnaires to determine its severity and impact on daily activities, mood and quality of life.
Treatment Options for Chronic Pain:
Chronic pain treatment aims to alleviate symptoms, enhance life quality, and improve functioning. This is often done through an interdisciplinary approach, responding to the patient’s needs. Some of the possible forms of treatment are:
- Medication: These can be obtained over the counter or prescribed by doctors. They might include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids (for severe pain), and topical analgesics for pain and its associated signs.
- Physical Therapy: Physical therapy and rehabilitation programs can include exercises like strength training and flexibility exercises, which can reduce pain, improve mobility, and prevent future injuries that may occur due to accidents.
- Interventional Procedures: Minimally invasive procedures such as nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, epidural injections, or spinal cord stimulation can be employed to target certain nerves or pathways that cause pain and provide relief.
- Complementary Therapies: Additional and different remedies such as needle therapy, bodywork, spinal care, biofeedback, yoga, tai chi, and relaxation strategies, can help minimize pain, reduce stress, and improve a person's general well-being.
- Psychological Support: Psychological counseling, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), among other psychotherapy interventions, assists in coping with chronic pain conditions or related problems of individuals who suffer from these illnesses.
Faqs:
Can chronic pain be completely treated?
Although modern medicine cannot always cure chronic pain, it can usually be controlled via a mixture of therapies and techniques that are tailored to individual patients. The treatment goals include reducing pain, improving functionality, and enhancing the quality of life such that those in pain can still have meaningful lives.
Are psychological problems common for people with chronic pains?
Yes, individuals with persistent perpetual pains typically suffer emotionally because they constantly feel anxious, sad or frustrated about the nature of the problem and its impacts on day-to-day activities. A well-rounded care plan addressing issues such as counseling sessions, coping mechanisms or self-management is vital in managing both physical and psychological aspects of protracted suffering.
Is there a rough estimate of how long it will take for chronic pain to heal?
This varies from person to person. The duration of treatment is not the same for everyone; it depends on the cause of the pain, its severity, your overall health, and your response to therapy. Often, chronic pain management is an ongoing process, although we at CareFront Medical aim to help you reach maximal functioning and pain control as soon as possible.