The statistics on sufferers of chronic pain are staggering – and irrelevant if you’re the one with the pain.
The sad fact, though, is that many of these sufferers don’t have to suffer, yet they do, many because they just flat out don’t know what to do or how to go about it.
To help address this, this blog looks at our specialty – pain management – with emphasis on when to turn to a pain management specialist, hindrances to avoid in making the move and what to do when you get there.
Acknowledge the Impact
The National Institutes of Health defines chronic pain as lasting more than three months with an intensity that:
If any of those factors are impacting your life, it’s time to take charge of your pain management, consulting a specialist in the field. The sooner you make the move the better, and the closer you’ll be to improved quality of life.
Be Aware of Barriers
Perhaps the greatest barrier is the surrender that comes after other doctors have failed to discover a diagnosis that would lead to effective treatment. Others include:
None of these represent action to address your pain in a meaningful way, and the only one who can take action is you.
Consulting an Expert
Pain management doctors – physicians who specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of pain – have advanced training that qualifies them as your best source of treatment if you are experiencing any type of pain due to illness or injury.
Here are a few things to remember when working with such a specialist.
As the field of medicine learns more about the complexities of pain, it has become more important to have physicians with specialized knowledge and skills to address it.
Now, more than ever, help is out there. We’re here if you need it.
Life’s little victories. Most of us take them for granted. Hopping out of bed, getting ready for work, driving to the job site, shopping on the way home, cooking, socializing with family and friends and otherwise getting on with duties and joys of our daily lives.
For those suffering with chronic pain, however, any one of those acts could be a major victory for those who simply can’t do many of the activities the rest of us never think twice about.
Every day, patients come to us for multi-disciplinary, interventional treatments with an eye to getting their lives back. Most often, their goals are simple, that is, just to do the ordinary things they once did that are now limited by the magnitude of their pain.
Once they’ve accomplished that, we love hearing their uplifting stories of the impact on pain management on their lives. It’s not the kind of thing you read in the paper: “Man Goes to Grocery!” or “Woman Plays with Her Child!” But these are real stories of heroism, persistence and reclamation. You can find reviews on our website of our opinions of us, but we like it best when they tell them about themselves.
Many who have been blinded and bound by pain for years now are taking joy in, well, pretty much everything and learning more about themselves every day. It is not unusual to hear or read accounts of those whose pain is now under control and how it has helped them recapture what they lost. In that regard, it’s not unusual to hear them report that:
If you, or someone you know, struggles with chronic pain, encourage them to call us for a consultation. We understand and we want to help.
As recently noted by Healthgrades, choosing a pain management doctor is one of the most important and personal decisions a person can make, given the profound effect intense discomfort can have on quality of life. But how do you know you’re making the right choice?
To help guide you, following are a few tips designed to get you to the right healthcare provider and initiate an effective pain management plan.
As you go through the process, however, keep in mind that your ultimate goal is a clinic or practice that uses a multi-disciplinary approach, that is, where a team of clinicians and other health professionals will work together to address all aspects of your pain according to your individualized needs.
Once you’ve made your choice, and the appointment, make a list of what’s most important to you to effectively manage your and the clinician’s time and underscore your decision.
When a patient seeks pain management, they often have exhausted other options, are looking for therapies other than opioids or risky surgery or desire a more holistic approach. Whatever the reason, however, the time taken upfront to find that perfect fit between patient needs and professional services will be well worth it.
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have or make an appointment to see how we can help.
Your back takes a lot of impacts and is an essential part of your daily life. In between each vertebra are your discs, which are there to help ease any impacts. They provide height, allow bending, flexion, and twisting. Think of them as the spines' shock absorbers.
As we age, our discs begin to shrink, causing more wear and tear. In some cases, this can be more severe and lead to back pain and stiffness, often caused by other underlying issues. If you are currently living with back pain from degenerative disc disease, here’s what you should know:
Everyone will experience some level of degeneration over time. As you age, your discs will begin to dry out, losing their ability to absorb shock. Daily movement and physical activities such as sports, can lead to tears in the outer core. An injury can lead to instability, swelling, and soreness.
As the condition develops, certain complications can come along, such as:
Also, your disc center can weaken, the nucleus of your disc collapses, and bone spurs can form. Early treatment is vital to reduce further damage.
Your symptoms all depend on where the degenerated disc(s) are located. For some, it can be in the lower back, others the neck. Lower back pain can travel from the lower back to the buttocks and thighs. Neck pain can travel and radiate to your arms and hands. For others, it can worsen when you sit or do specific activities.
Pain may come and go; it may be nagging or severe. All of these depend on the damage that has occurred and the location of the degeneration.
The first step in diagnosing degenerative disc disease is to have a physical exam and a full review of your medical history. You will be asked to describe your pain and when it began to occur. An MRI might be scheduled to see the damage of the discs.
With proper treatment, the source of the pain can often repair itself. Treatment might include anti-inflammatory drugs, chiropractic care, and therapy. For some instances, traction or injections may be prescribed. If all non-invasive measures have been exhausted without any improvement, surgery may be necessary.
Degenerative disc disease, though natural, can often be a significant source of chronic pain. We are dedicated to helping you reduce your pain, and get back your quality of life. Call us today at (855) 876-7246 to make an appointment to discuss treatment options. You can also fill out our convenient appointment request form.
Living with chronic pain does not mean you have to spend the summers indoors. With proper preparation and knowledge, you may be able to live an active summer life without the extra aches. To get out there and stay active, all while keeping pain management in mind, here’s what you’ll want to know.
Extreme heat is uncomfortable for most, but nerve or joint pain can make it unbearable. Pay mind to the daily temperature and plan activities early in the day or later in the evening, when temperatures are in the lower end. This can help excess sweating, which can lead to dehydration and joint pain.
When you do venture outside, wear breathable clothing and a big hat and glasses. You don’t want to add a sunburn to your list of pain.
Some time in the pool can be a great way to reduce pain and inflammation for most, while still enjoying the summer sun. You don’t have to be an avid swimmer to reap the benefits either, a simple soak or a few stretches can help cool you down.
Try doing a few of your regular stretches or workout moves in the water. The buoyancy will help relieve pressure to the joints, giving you the ability for a better workout without the extra pain. Talk to your physician about how you may benefit from water therapy.
No matter what time of year it may be, you should always strive to get your daily dose of vitamins through a balanced diet. However, with farmers markets and many fruits and vegetables being fresher than ever, it’s simpler in the summer months.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated, too. Dehydration can lead to inflammation and reduce blood flow to the joints, leading to more wear and tear. If you are already thirsty, chances are you’re slightly dehydrated, so drink up.
The more you stay on track with your treatment, the more energy and strength you’ll have to enjoy your favorite summer activities. Talk to your doctor about any new pain you are feeling, and changes so you can both ensure you’re receiving the best treatment for you.
Don’t let pain take away your quality of life. We can provide treatment for a wide variety of pain causes and treatment. Our state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures will help us find the cause of your pain, so we can then develop the most effective treatment plan for you.
This is an open letter to those suffering from pain.
Long-term, persistent pain is nothing like the pain of an acute injury or even a really bad case of the flu. In those cases, you may feel bad – really bad – for days or weeks, but the pain gradually lessens, letting you know that you’re on the mend. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is unpredictable and unrelenting. It can occur every day, or it may appear on random days. But there is never any indication you are getting better. With pain like this, you may feel fine one day, then can barely move the next. You will find your life – and plans – in constant flux, never being able to predict when or how the pain will strike.
Living with chronic pain is tough but finding relief for it is even more so. Getting an accurate diagnosis for what ails you and finding a treatment that works typically involves a lot of trial and error. That’s where interventional pain management comes in, utilizing mostly minimally invasive techniques to lessen a patient’s pain.
Pain management injections are safe, effective, and can provide longer-term solutions than, say, oral medications – and are a less invasive option than surgery, to boot. They are used to treat a wide variety of orthopedic or neurological conditions and injuries.
One of the most common pain management injections is called an epidural steroid injection. This injection is common for lower back pain but may also help with upper back and neck pain. When injected, steroidal medication is injected into the epidural space around the spinal cord. The medication reduces inflammation and pain.
Nerve blocks are another common pain management injection. These injections deliver an anesthetic close to particular nerves, in an effort to interrupt nerve signals before they can get to the brain, where they would register as pain. These injections are used to treat pain caused by inflamed nerves and can be used to help identify the source of your pain.
Joint injections deliver medication into the joints for quick relief of pain and inflammation. Trigger point injections can help relax knots of muscles that may be causing pain in other parts of the body (for example, a trigger point in the neck is a common cause of tension headaches).
At Pain Specialists of Austin our interventional pain management doctors are here with one goal: to relieve chronic pain and help our patients return to being their former active selves. Instead of relying on medication, we intervene in a much more effective manner using a vast array of therapies such as pain management injections, to help relieve pain. We aim to improve one’s quality of life and help to regain function and mobility.
To learn more about interventional pain management, and how pain management injections may help you, call the Pain Specialists of Austin at (855) 876-7246 to request an appointment, or request an appointment online.
Meniscal tears are a common knee injury involving the meniscus, a disc of cartilage that cushions the knee joint. It occurs most commonly in athletes due to a sudden twisting of the knee, but can happen to anyone, even when doing regular tasks like standing up or walking up steps – especially older adults because the meniscus weakens as we age. There are two menisci in each knee.
When the meniscus is torn, or if a piece breaks off and catches in the knee joint, it can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, swelling, stiffness, and locking up of the knee. Its telltale sign is a popping noise when the injury occurs.
Depending on the type and location of your tear, and if your symptoms are not severe, you may be able to treat the condition primarily with pain management techniques. This is because tears that occur on the outside of the meniscus (known as the “red” zone because blood reaches this area) may heal on their own without resorting to invasive measures such as surgery – depending on the size and severity of the tear, of course. And if the tear is confined to just one of your knee’s menisci, all the better.
However, if you are experiencing significant pain or a locking up of the knee joint, you will want to visit your doctor to explore your treatment options. Tears that occur in the inner two-thirds of the meniscus (known as the “white” zone because it lacks a blood supply) do not self-heal. Significant tears in this area are usually treated with an arthroscopic surgery.
We help our patients decide which treatment options are best for them. Often, a customized treatment plan will take into account a patient’s age, overall health, activity level, as well as the location and severity of the meniscus tear.
Pain management options for a meniscus tear include:
The doctors are dedicated to providing the meniscus tear treatments that are so crucial to getting you back on your feet and doing the activities you love. To learn more about meniscal tears, treatment, and our pain management methods, call (855) 876-7246 for an appointment today. We have 10 convenient locations in and around Austin, Texas. You can also request an appointment online.
Some folks claim they can tell when it’s going to rain or there’s a cold front on the way because their arthritis is acting up. Images of an old-timer on his porch, saying “there’s a storm coming, I can feel it in my knees,” might come to mind. But does weather have anything to do with your chronic pain?
The answer to that question is a bit ambiguous, unfortunately. While there is no definitive research evidence that the weather has a direct effect on your bones and joints, most rheumatologists will tell you that many of their patients do experience joint pain as the climate changes.
Here in Texas, the climate ranges from arid in the west to humid in the east. Temperatures are moderately cold in the winter and extremely warm in the summer. Plus, thunderstorms are quite common with average annual rainfall of more than 34 inches.
How would that affect you if you had arthritic or any other type of pain?
It is widely acknowledged that a change of season – particularly from spring to summer – can cause arthritis flare-ups. The theory is that rising or falling temperatures force a change in the level of the synovial fluid that lines the joints.
Also, while dry, warm weather helps soothe aching joints, days of high humidity and low barometric pressure – such as just before a storm – increases pressure on your joints. That’s because your tendons, ligaments, and muscles are expanding, and that can irritate already sensitive joints.
There may not be much you can do about the weather, but there are ways you can manage your pain during hot, steamy summer months. These include:
Are you tired of taking pain medication every day, only to still be in pain? If you need relief that lasts for weeks or months, we can help. If you have any type of pain, call (855) 876-7246 for an appointment today. We have 10 convenient locations in the Austin, Texas area, and you can also request an appointment online.
Whoever coined the saying “Pain of mind is worse than pain of body” probably never experienced chronic pain. Chronic pain can be caused by a number of factors – genetics, anxiety, injury, or disease; and in some cases, doctors might have difficulty discovering just what it is that is leaving their patients in peril. According to a National Health Institute study, 11.2% of all Americans suffer from chronic pain.
It’s important to understand the difference between acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is severe or sudden and can be attributed to something that you can pinpoint, for example, a surgery, illness, or accident. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is persistent – lasting for months and possibly longer. In many cases, physicians can go to great lengths to detect the root of this mysterious malady. It often takes patience and multiple visits to medical specialists before a diagnosis can be made.
One of the first steps to diagnosis is rating your pain. How we describe our pain can reveal a lot of valuable information to our physicians. Numerical ratings are sometimes used as a scale; in other cases, doctors may ask you to keep a journal or log of your pain, or to describe your pain in words. One famous verbal rating scale is known as the McGill Pain Questionnaire. All of these assessments are key factors in determining whether the cause of our discomfort is muscular or neurological in nature. There are many tip-offs, but pain that is described as having a burning, tingling, or “pins and needles” feeling leans toward nerve pain, whereas a tender, throbbing, or stiffness is indicative of muscle pain. For those who have trouble communicating, or exhibit mild cognitive impairments, tests such as Wong-Baker and Observer scales make assessments based on facial expression and heart rate.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, there are over 30 years of research and evidence that verify the importance and validity of psychological assessment in chronic pain evaluation. Anxiety and depression often coincide with the incidence of chronic pain; in fact, in those experiencing chronic pain, concurrent depression occurs in up to 52% of those in pain clinics. It’s a vicious cycle, as depression can cause chronic pain, but chronic pain can also lead to depression.
Physical and neurological exams will delve deeper into the ratings test information collected previously. A comprehensive physical exam will allow your doctor to examine your strength and posture, as well as denote any abnormalities that could be the culprit of your chronic pain. Your physician will most likely check your balance, reflexes, and coordination, as well.
Blood tests are never a bad idea. Most people know the value of having their blood tested yearly for lipids, cholesterol, and so on. However, did you consider the role these factors are playing in your pain? Blood tests are highly valuable for ruling out causes of your pain that may have gone under the radar. Everything from vitamin deficiencies to autoimmune disorders can be validated with a simple vile of blood. Persistent pain in muscles and joints has been linked to a sluggish thyroid, while achiness coincides with a lack of Vitamin D.
If the abovementioned diagnostics point to nerve damage, there are a number of supplemental tests that can be administered. Measuring the speed at which an electrical impulse travels through your nerve, Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) tests are advantageous for diagnosing pain disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Sciatic nerve problems. Often used in tandem with NCV tests, Electromyography (EMG) involves the insertion of a needle into the muscle to record electrical activity. Electrical activity in a “resting” muscle is a sure-fire sign of a muscle or nerve disorder, or inflammation.
One thing is clear: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to diagnosing chronic pain. Pain Specialists of Austin offers a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment, and has the tools needed to tackle everything from spine disorders, to cancer pain management. For more information, call (855) 876-7246.
Regenerative medicine represents what may turn out to be the greatest leap forward in medicine since the discover of penicillin. Regenerative medicine is based upon harnessing the potential regenerative processes of adult stem cells, as well as other therapies such as tissue engineering.
In short, it is an emerging field that may allow for new forms of treatment that can heal or replace tissues and organs damaged by disease, birth defects and even injury. Researchers are working tirelessly to create treatments that can renew and recreate the human body in ways that previous generations could only imagine.
The FDA has already approved several such therapies, allowing doctors to use adult stem cells to help speed healing or create new tissues–such as damaged spinal discs. Adult stem cells are a form of undifferentiated cells, which mean that they have the capability to create other kinds of cells. In a sense, they are mother cells, which can give rise to brand new tissues and organs, as needed.
Each form of tissue in the human body has its very own specific set of stem cells that can be harvested from the patient’s own body, and then used to potentially replace and rebuild things such as nerves, hearts and lungs at a cellular level. In the past, the best we could do was to replace such organs with those removed from a donor. Regenerative medicine may hold the key to affordable, long-term treatments for diseases which are currently untreatable.
Right now, stem cell injections are being used with other non-invasive therapies such as platelet rich plasma, or PRP, to target chronic pain and help patients heal faster. (PRP is created using the patient’s own blood which is treated and then reinjected into damaged tissue in order to speed repair, reduce inflammation, and increase positive outcomes.)
At Pain Specialists of Austin, we are on the leading edge of regenerative medical treatment modalities. We have the advanced skills and training you need to treat injuries and illness, as well as sophisticated and innovative forms of pain management.
If you or someone you love might benefit from regenerative therapies, or you would like to learn more about the latest advances in pain management including stem cell therapy, please call (855) 876-7246 for an experienced pain management doctor in Austin. Or, if you would like, please use our convenient online appointment request form.