Living with chronic pain can be a significant challenge for those who struggle with it. It can be exhausting, debilitating, frustrating, and interferes with all areas of life.
Currently, more than 51 million Americans are living with chronic pain, which affects their quality of life. For many, seeking help from a pain clinic is the solution.
Pain clinics offer comprehensive treatment options to improve the patient’s pain. Let’s discuss the role of pain clinics and how they help patients with chronic pain management.
A Brief Introduction to Pain Clinics
Pain clinics are specialized healthcare facilities focused on managing and treating various types of pain. They provide comprehensive care, meaning they look at the whole person, not just the pain symptoms.
The goal is to treat the root cause of the pain and help patients return to their normal activities with minimal discomfort.
Role of Pain Clinics
The primary role of a pain clinic is to provide relief from chronic pain. The pain management specialists at the pain clinic do the following:
Proper Diagnosis
Pain clinics play a critical role in ensuring a proper diagnosis of the type of pain a patient is experiencing.
Pain specialists in clinics are well-trained to identify the underlying causes of the pain, which could be anything from nerve pain, muscle pain, or post-surgical pain. With the right diagnosis, the pain management treatment plan can be tailored to suit the patient’s unique needs.
Individualized Treatment Plans
Pain clinics offer customized treatment plans, keeping in mind the patient’s specific condition, including their physical health, mental state, lifestyle, and social environment. These treatment plans may include:
Interventional Pain Management Therapies
Interventional pain management therapies are specialized techniques used by pain management specialists to diagnose and treat chronic pain. They are typically used when non-surgical treatments have not provided sufficient relief from chronic pain.
One of the commonly used interventional therapies at pain clinics is guided joint injections. This procedure involves injecting medication directly into the joint that is causing pain. The injection can help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
Nerve blocks are another type of minimally invasive therapy. They work by injecting anesthetic around specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain.
In addition to these interventional pain management therapies, pain clinics like Central Florida Spine & Pain also offer other therapies. These include platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and radiofrequency ablation.
PRP therapy uses the patient’s own blood to promote healing. The blood is processed to concentrate the platelets, which are then injected into the painful area to stimulate tissue regeneration and reduce pain.
Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses heat produced by radio waves to damage specific nerves and prevent them from sending pain signals to the brain.
Minimally Invasive Therapies
Minimally invasive therapies are a key part of the treatment options provided by pain clinics, such as Central Florida Spine & Pain. These treatments aim to provide lasting pain relief without resorting to major surgery or heavy reliance on medications.
Here are some of the minimally invasive procedures offered at a pain clinic for chronic back pain:
- Vertebroplasty: In this procedure, bone cement is injected into a fractured vertebra to fuse bone fragments together. This therapy alleviates chronic back pain caused by the fragments and strengthens the spine.
- Kyphoplasty: Similar to Vertebroplasty, Kyphoplasty involves inserting a small balloon into the fractured vertebra, which is then inflated to create a cavity in the bone. This cavity is then filled with a thicker bone cement under lower pressure.
- Vertiflex Procedure: This treatment is used for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a degenerative condition that narrows the spinal canal in the lower back area. It involves using fluoroscopy to insert a spacer between the affected levels of your spine.
- This device alleviates nerve compression, reduces pain, and restores power to the lower extremities.
- Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD): This outpatient procedure addresses moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). It involves removing excess ligament tissue and small pieces of bone to widen the spinal canal and relieve nerve compression.
Track Progress and Adjust Treatment
Chronic pain management is not a one-time solution; it requires patience and periodic adjustments to the treatment plan. Pain clinics track a patient’s progress during and after treatment and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan.
By monitoring the progress of the treatment, pain management specialists can ensure that the patient gets the best care possible and optimally use available pain management therapies.
Education and Support
Lastly, pain clinics play a significant role in educating and supporting patients with chronic pain. They provide patients with appropriate resources and knowledge to manage their condition better.
Pain clinics also offer support groups and counseling services where patients can share their experiences and learn to manage their pain better.
Pain Clinic in Melbourne, Florida
At Central Florida Spine & Pain, we’re committed to helping you regain your comfort and your life. Our highly skilled, friendly, and compassionate team, led by board-certified physician Dr. Nicholas Giordano, can effectively address your pain using a range of interventional pain management procedures and minimally invasive therapies.
To find out how we can bring you relief, contact us today at (321) 802-5021 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to serving you!
