About Pain Management

Overview

Pain management, also called pain medicine, is specialized medical care. It is designed to minimize the impact of surgical pain or chronic pain. Chronic pain, in particular, can be difficult to control and sometimes impossible to cure. Pain management treatment can help reduce pain and help patients enjoy a better quality of life.

Who Can Benefit From Pain Management

Pain management can treat recurring pain that follows surgery and pain associated with spine problems and cancer or cancer treatment. It can help treat neuropathic diseases, migraines, and injuries such as whiplash.

Who Practices Pain Management

Pain management draws specialists from many different medical fields. A pain management specialist may have a background in anesthesiology, physical medicine, rehabilitation, neurology, or psychiatry. Pain management practitioners work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as physical therapists and psychologists. They work together to create a plan tailored to each patient's needs.

Types of Treatment

Chronic pain may be treated with various methods and can be treated with injections, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, exercise, and psychological treatments. Patients take an active role in their treatment, providing feedback to help the specialist design the most effective plan possible.

Living With Chronic Pain

Pain management therapy can greatly reduce a patient's pain and provide coping strategies that keep pain from being intolerable. Although some types of chronic pain can never be eliminated, pain management can significantly relieve many people.