What Does A Pain Management Practice Do?

In today’s world, countless individuals will experience some sort of acute pain at some point in their lives, while others will suffer from ongoing, chronic pain. According to Georgetown’s Health Policy Institute, nearly 8% of adults suffer from chronic back pain, making the need for pain management more important than ever. This is what has led to pain management practices becoming more common. Not only do pain management practices focus on providing pain relief, but they offer a variety of treatment options. Individuals who are struggling with acute or chronic pain should learn more about what a pain management practice is and if it is the right option for them.

What Is A Pain Management Practice?
Pain management practices are medical practices that focus on providing care and treatment for acute or chronic pain. Doctors within pain management practices are trained in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating sources of pain for its patients. Like other specialists, pain management doctors will have specialized training for treating pain, as this is their primary focus within healthcare. Because pain management doctors are considered specialists in their field, patients may require a referral from their primary doctor to be seen. Pain management doctors are beneficial for individuals who have not gotten relief from other treatment options and provide an elevated level of care for the given problem.

What Do Pain Management Doctors Offer?
Because pain management doctors specialize in pain management, they will be able to offer a wider range of treatments that may not be available at a primary care practice. They offer both nonsurgical and surgical treatments, giving patients more options for how to find the relief they are looking for.

Nonsurgical Treatments
Nonsurgical treatments are more conservative options that do not require elevated interventions. They are great options for those with pain that is not severe enough to require surgery but still needs intervention to be treated. Examples of nonsurgical interventions can include prescription medication, lifestyle adjustment recommendations, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. Lifestyle adjustments may include weight loss, exercise, or routine changes. In many cases, nonsurgical treatments will be the first option, as it is best to avoid surgical interventions when possible.

Surgical Treatments
In its most basic form, surgical treatments refer to any treatments that require a person to be treated through elevated, direct treatments. While the most common type of surgical intervention is surgery, there are numerous other surgical interventions that can be offered. These include treatments like steroid injections, joint injections, and radiofrequency ablations. While most of these interventions are minimally invasive, they may require a small recovery period. Surgical interventions are a great option for patients when other, more conservative treatments have not been successful.