Pain Management

What is Pain Management?

Pain management is a branch of medicine that applies science to the reduction of pain. It covers a wide spectrum of conditions, including neuropathic pain, sciatica, postoperative pain, and more. Pain management is a rapidly growing medical specialty that takes a multiple disciplinary approach to treating all kinds of pain. It’s usually recommended to see a psychologist to help with the mental anguish that can come with pain management.

Goals of Pain Management

While some types of pain can be chronic, such as headaches, and others acute, such as from surgery, The field of pain management treats all of it as a disease. This allows for the application of science, and the latest advances in medicine to relieve your pain. We now have many modalities, including medication, interventional pain management techniques (nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulators, and similar treatments), along with physical therapy and alternative medicine to help reduce the pain. The goal of pain management is to minimize pain, rather than eliminate it. This is because quite often it is not possible to completely do away with it. Two other goals are to improve function and increase the quality of life. These three goals go hand in hand.

As a first-time patient in a pain management clinic, you might experience the following:

  • Evaluation
  • Diagnostics tests, if necessary, as determined in the evaluation
  • Referral to a surgeon, if indicated by the tests and evaluation
  • Interventional treatment, such and injections or spinal cord stimulation
  • Physical therapy to increased range of motion and strength, and to prepare you to go back to work
  • Psychiatry to deal with depression, anxiety and/or other issues that may accompany your chronic pain
  • Alternative medicine to provide complement to your other treatments

Back and neck pain sufferers do best with pain management program. Those who have had multiple back surgeries, including failed surgeries, and are still in pain, those with neuropathy, and those for whom it has been determined that surgery would not benefit their condition. People who have become addicted to pain medication actually need more sophisticated help than what a pain management program can offer them. We at Alegna Solutions Psychology will help those struggling with pain management and pain medication addiction.

A better understanding of pain syndromes by communities and insurance companies and more studies on pain will help increase insure coverage for pain management treatments. In the future, the use of technology will help improve the outcomes of interventional pain management techniques.

Why Psychology can Help you Manage Pain

Psychology can help people cope with thoughts, feelings and behaviours that accompany chronic pain. Alegna Solutions Psychology will work with individuals and families to help them through the situation that is happening. When working with us, you can expect to discuss your physical and emotional health. We will ask about the pain you experience, where and when it occurs, and what factors may affect it. In addition, we will ask you to discuss any worries or stresses, including those related to your pain. You may also be asked to complete a questionnaire that allows you to record your own thoughts and feelings about your pain.

Having a comprehensive understanding of your concerns will help us begin to develop a treatment plan.

One way to do this is by helping you learn to challenge any unhelpful thoughts you have about pain. Alegna Solutions will help you develop new ways to think about problems and find solutions. In some cases, distracting yourself from pain is helpful. In other cases, we can help you develop new ways to think about your pain. Studies have found that some psychotherapy can be as effective as surgery for relieving chronic pain because psychological treatments for pain can alter how your brain processes pain sensations. You may require help to make lifestyle changes that will allow you to continue participating in work and recreational activities.

Pain often causes insomnia; Alegna Solutions Psychology may also help you learn new ways to sleep better.

Self-care steps that may be helpful in less serious cases: (In addition to medicines and physical therapy, lifestyle changes are necessary, we will organise ways/strategies to)

  • Keep yourself active
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing

If you happen to be struggling with your pain management, come talk to us at Alegna Solutions Psychology. Pain management is extremely important, from coping skills to everyday life, a lot of people who suffer with pain require some kind of help. Psychological help from us is a better option especially for those that are unable to take medication, don’t want to take medication or just want some mental support. Don’t let your life get too painful to reach out, visit us today.