Despite many advances in modern medicine, lasting pain remains a significant burden to many individuals in our society - this is where a pain management specialist steps in. Using specialized training to evaluate, diagnose, and treat all different types of acute (lasting less than 3 months) and chronic pain (lasting more than 3 months). Practitioners facilitate various medicinal and therapeutic procedures for pain management.
To begin, they diagnose the specific cause of your pain and the underlying conditions that lead to it. As an example, back pain can be caused by many conditions ranging from poor posture at your desk to a herniated disc to a degenerative disease like arthritis. TruWell’s trained specialists will evaluate, assess and prescribe the treatment they think is most suitable for your condition, whether through a therapy program, a medication-based solution, or a surgical procedure. As more studies about the science of pain are conducted and expand on the complexities of pain physiology, the growing need for physicians with specialized knowledge and skills to evaluate and manage these conditions has increased.
Once you have been faced with acute or chronic pain, knowing that there are specialized medical professionals who can alleviate some of this pain is a mental and physical relief.
Physicians are skilled in performing procedures such as trigger point injections, PRP, and stem cell therapy, and they are able to diagnose the patient's condition, and if they see a reason for outsourced or additional care for the patient, they will organize that referral. Lastly, focusing on the relationship between the specialist and patient is essential to ensuring the treatment is in line with the patient's requests and belief systems and that they feel safe and respected in their care.
There are various treatments available, ranging from therapeutic, surgical, nonsurgical, interventional, and complementary therapies.
A few to mention would be RFA (Radiofrequency ablation), a minimally invasive procedure used primarily to shrink tumors, benign and malignant, which has also been found to help reduce chronic back and neck pain. SCS (spinal cord stimulation), a device similar to a pacemaker known as a neurostimulator, disrupts pain signals between the spinal cord and the brain. DRG (Dorsal Root Ganglion) stimulation is similar to SCS in that a device also needs to be inserted into the spine and disrupt the pain signals to the brain. However, the main difference is that it can target a specific nerve root in a more focalized way and target the painful area more directly. Another procedure is therapeutic laser treatment, where a laser emitter is placed on the pain point. This procedure requires some commitment from the patient as it has to be done quite frequently over a short period to be most effective, of 10 - 20 minutes at least 3 - 4 times per week.
These treatments may help reduce the amount of medication the patient would need to take and potentially prevent surgery.
However, if that does not align with your treatment plan, injections and medication are another solution. Depending on the severity of your specific condition, a specialist may also recommend other treatments, such as epidural steroid injections. If none of these methods effectively alleviate your pain, surgery may be an option. More therapeutic approaches such as massage, acupuncture, exercise, yoga, meditation, physical therapy, dietary changes, or chiropractic care are also viable and recommended options.
Complete knowledge of the breadth and depth of pain evaluation and treatment options means pain management specialists are ideally suited and equipped to give the appropriate care to a patient through various methods, including prescribed medications, low-risk procedures, therapy programs, and surgery. TruWell Health offers state-of-the-art technology on-site, which includes guidance for delivering injectable treatments and a fully equipped physical therapy suite. We are fully equipped to take care of any of your pain management needs by calling our office at 727-597-5251 or alternatively using the online booking form to schedule a consultation.
