Everything You Need to Know About Pain Management Injections
When you have a problem with your heart, you see a cardiologist. When you have cancer, you see an oncologist. What about when you have pain? Unfortunately, it is not so simple. You may start off with your primary care physician and then referred to an orthopedic surgeon. How did you go from ouch to under the knife? Or perhaps you started with a physical therapist or chiropractor, but are not improving. What do you do next?
At New Jersey’s Spine INA, we understand that most people would prefer to exhaust non-operative options for pain first and foremost. That’s why we provide an assortment of conservative pain management solutions before progressing to surgical options.
What Is Pain Management?
Pain is a broad and complex symptom. It could be a simple twinge that flares up quickly and subsides, or it could be a warning sign that there’s a serious underlying condition. Chronic pain is pain that persists for weeks, months or even years. Pain management is a medical discipline that focuses on the treatment of chronic pain.
Specialists in pain management come up with treatment options to help patients manage this often overwhelming sensation. To practice proper pain management, physicians need to be able to draw on multiple disciplines. They also need to be fully prepared to offer prevention techniques, diagnosis and treatment plans. Our team of doctors is full of leaders in the field of pain management.
There are many different pain management treatment options available, including a variety of:
- Medications
- Injections
- Therapies
- Least invasive procedures
- Surgeries
History of Pain Management:
The treatment of pain as a disease truly requires the knowledge and expertise of a pain management specialist. The field of chronic pain management was formed in the 1980s as a convergence between several different specialties (see table below). Each discipline contributes a unique perspective to the field.
However, mastering the right combination is what separates a pain specialist from imposters. Many providers claim to be pain specialists, but few have undergone the necessary training and even less have the board certification to prove so. Often seeing one of those other physicians leads to poor care, no improvement and lots of frustration!
