How a Pain Management Program Works

Having to suffer through chronic pain can seem like an almost insurmountable burden in life. We all know the feeling of bumping your knee on the side of the dresser and cringing in pain. You sit down for a few minutes and rub the sore spot. It might ache for a little while, and you might even limp for a day or two. But for the most part, this pain subsides very soon after.

This is the case with most types of pain that we experience. Pain is a signal from our brain that something is wrong with our body. It lets us know not to bump, bang or bruise that area again while it heals. Once the area heals, most of the time that pain will soon go away.

But there are some cases where that pain never does go away. Can you imagine how terrible it would feel if you never actually felt relief from that original pain? What would your life be like if the pain never did go away?

What exactly is Chronic Pain?

People who suffer from chronic pain never stop hurting. How can you even find the time to focus on your daily life when you deal with constant, unending pain in your body? This oftentimes ends up causing damage to much more than your physical self. It damages mental health just as badly.

Chronic pain is defined by doctors in a much different way than traditional pain is. For one, chronic pain never lets up. It is a pain that continues long after you have originally injured yourself and overcome that injury. This means that you are as healed as you’re going to be, and yet the pain just will not cease.

Several other criteria exist to be diagnosed with chronic pain. The pain also has to last much longer than you or the doctors will expect. It just will not go away.

Also, chronic pain causes a disruption in your day to day existence. This means it is much more than the average aches that we feel in our bodies. Chronic pain causes you to live your life like you never had to before.

Lastly, to be officially diagnosed with chronic pain, you have to have made several attempts at healing up and feeling better. You can’t just hurt for a while and decide you have chronic pain. Steps need to have been taken to try to fix you, and those steps need to have failed.

Things like surgery, medications, or physical therapy are examples of steps taken to alleviate chronic pain. But chronic pain exists when none of these things do any good.

If you qualify all of these criteria, then you should consider enrolling yourself in a program for pain management. With the proper care with qualified professionals you can experience the relief you never thought was possible again.

Avenues in Treatment for Chronic Pain

Once you have been diagnosed with chronic pain, there are several avenues you can go down for treatment. These treatments can help you to return to your job, and to improve your independent. An effective treatment program will also lessen the amount you need to rely on doctors, surgeries, and medications. Most pain management programs run for approximately eight to twelve weeks.

Medical Management

In a medical management treatment program a physiatrist will assist the patient in discovering new ways to cope with the pain they experience. These techniques extend beyond mere medication. The goal here is to move past medication, and rely less on support from the outside. Psychiatric consultation may also help the process move more quickly.

Physical Conditioning

Physical conditioning is like physical therapy in many different ways. When undergoing physical conditioning you work on building muscles that surround the area you injured. With proper conditioning you can take the strain off of the injured part of your body.

A stretching program is often initiated so you do not injure yourself again too quickly. Cardiovascular conditioning is also key to helping strengthen muscles and your heart. By becoming more physically healthy, the patient has to rely less on the doctor.

Aquatic Therapy

For serious injuries, one of the most effective ways to recover is by working out muscles while in a swimming pool. Aquatic therapy is an amazing way to help get your body back in shape.

As you exercise in the water, you put a whole lot less wear and tear on your muscles and joints. You can then get a workout in, strengthening muscles without burdening aching or injured joints. This greatly helps patients to improve their condition much faster than a traditional physical therapy.

If you are someone you know suffers from chronic pain, it is important to realize that there is help out there. An effective pain management program can put you back on the road to living a satisfying life.

If you are dealing with chronic pain, you need to realize that health is actually out there. With a pain management program you can get back to living your life.

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. All medical information presented should be discussed with your healthcare professional. Remember, the failure to seek timely medical advice can have serious ramifications. We urge you to discuss any current health related problems you are experiencing with a healthcare professional immediately.