September is Pain Awareness Month: A Coordinated Care Approach to Pain
September marks National Pain Awareness Month. This is time when pain specialist and advocates promote pain education and raise awareness about issues related to chronic pain. 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, many of these do it silently; they hide their pain because of stigma surrounding it . Chronic pain can be difficult to explain because it may not exhibit significant physical changes or symptoms . Patients are sometimes faced with supportive family and friends who believe" pain is in their head". The goal of Pain Awareness Month is to break down the barriers to effectively manage pain, reduce stigma and educate healthcare providers, patients, families and community to create greater understanding of chronic pain.
HISTORY OF PAIN AWARENESS MONTH
In early 2001 group of organizations felt a growing need to offer more education and greater understanding on pain management. They established September as an official Pain Awareness Month to promote education, awareness and reduce stigma on chronic pain.
UNDERSTANDING CHRONIC PAIN
Most of us experience pain in our life one time or another. Usually pain will dissipate after a short time. Chronic pain is defined as when pain lingers on for greater than 3 months or longer than expected healing time for an illness or trauma .More people suffer from chronic pain than heart disease , cancer and diabetes combined. Chronic pain may result from an injury, condition or disease. In some cases, source of pain may not have a clear cause.Common pain complaints include nephropathy, arthritis, headache, shingles, low back and neck pain.
PAIN DOCTOR SPECIALIZING IN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN
Usually one seeks help for pain from their primary care doctor who are fully capable of addressing the pain. However when a patient's pain needs to be managed on a long term basis or for a complex conditions - the primary care doctor may refer the patient to the pain specialist .
Pain specialist are highly trained and educated in pain management . They have in depth knowledge of pain physiology, use diagnostic tests to pinpoint the pain source and use appropriate medications and pain relieving procedures to mitigate the pain.
A COORDINATED CARE APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
At Comprehensive Pain Centers our Board certified pain doctors look at each patient's total 'pain picture'. This means we take a holistic approach to pain management and provide services that address the cognitive, emotional and physical barriers that cause pain. Our pain specialist perform a comprehensive history and physical examination, and use various testing tools to get to the bottom of pain symptoms for our patients.
Based on the patient's diagnosis our specialists work with the patient and referring provider to select the treatment path to best meet patients needs and goals for pain management. Depending on patient's needs, this may include minimally invasive procedures, medications or other treatment options such as:
Epidural steroid injections
Nerve blocks
Facet blocks and radiofrequency ablation
Spinal cord stimulation implant and management
Intrathecal pain pumps
We also coordinate care with physical therapy, psychological counseling, surgical evaluation or other types of therapy. This integrated approach ensures all aspect of patient's pain are being addressed.
Comprehensive Pain Centers are committed to advocating for pain patients and proud to provide platform for patients to share their experiences and show their support.While our board certified pain physicians provide treatment options and offer comfort from your pain, here are some ways you can get involved to bring awareness.
Advocate:
Talk to your friends family ,local government and media and let them know what this month mean to you and encourage them to help support the cause .
Volunteer:
Volunteering can boost your mood knowing you are helping others. This simple task helps spread the message that chronic pain is disease which needs as much attention as any other disease process.
Write:
If you don't have too much energy due to your pain try writing. Share your story with other social media networks.
Collaborate :
If you attend support group and know other folks suffering from chronic pain, you could get together and raise awareness.
At Comprehensive Pain Centers we pride ourselves on developing care partnerships that allow for the effective and compassionate management of pain. To learn more or to schedule an appointment contact us today.