Historically, healthcare professionals have faced a unique challenge in treating chronic pain conditions. There was a time when these conditions were highly misunderstood, and extremely difficult to diagnose. Advances in modern medical technology and our understanding of the human body have greatly improved the capacity of medical professionals to both diagnose and care for conditions that result in chronic pain. For the everyday person, however, accessing this new knowledge is sometimes easier said than done. Today more than 100 million Americans suffer from some type of chronic pain, so if you are one of them than the first thing to know is that you are not alone in this fight. The most important thing to think about when living with chronic pain is how to manage the pain and deal with your situation so that you can still live. The following are four ways health care professionals can help you in today’s modern age.
Radiofrequency Ablation Solution
Radiofrequency ablation or RFA is a treatment that some people use to deal with issues like arthritis or lower back pain. With this type of treatment, you can experience relief from certain types of chronic pain without needing to continually medicate yourself. Your doctor will use the RFA treatment to target nerves that send pain signals to your brain using the tip of a heated needle. The heat cauterizes the nerves in question, and pain is no longer sent to the brain. It’s important to note that while this treatment can be effective at eliminating pain, it does not eliminate the underlying issues causing that pain. This important distinction means that this isn’t the right solution for everyone, and depending on what your specific circumstances are your doctor may even recommend against it in order to preserve your ability to use your pain as a measurement of the success of other treatments. That being said, curing or correcting a condition that causes chronic pain isn’t always an option. For conditions of this nature, RFA treatments can help reduce the pain you feel in your daily activities.
Direct Pain Shots
Pain killers work, but they do not focus on the affected area. Additionally, many people prefer to avoid using pain killers excessively, as doing so can lead to dependencies. This is the reason direct pain shots are so effective and why so many people with chronic conditions prefer them. If this treatment is right for you, the doctor will use X-rays to find out where the pain is originating from, and then deliver steroids or local anesthetics directly to those locations. This is typically done with a hypodermic syringe. The steroids reduce inflammation, which helps relieve pain and discomfort, while the anesthetics numb the nerves that are sending pain signals to your brain. Depending on your specific situation, one or both of these options may be recommended by your doctor.
Modern Alternatives
A number of health care specialists encourage patients to consider alternative treatments. This will not only help reduce pain in the long run; it will also help reduce the amount of prescription medication you are taking on a daily basis. For many patients today, this fact alone is enough incentive to at least try alternative pain management techniques. One of the most effective alternative solutions is acupuncture, which triggers pressure points in your body to help your muscles relax and relieves tension. Another alternative is constant exercise routines that have been known to reduce chronic pain like yoga, tai-chi, or swimming. This type of alternative treatment is not effective in every situation, and could potentially exacerbate a condition if used incorrectly. Because of this, it is always a good idea to work with your healthcare providers to determine which treatment method would be best for your specific situation.
Induced Pain Relief
Another way you can try to relieve your pain is by visiting professional massage therapists spinal adjustment specialists. Both of these professionals understand the body and help provide relief through targeted movements. For example, massage therapy helps stimulate blood circulation to specific areas, which can reduce inflammation and promote healing. A spinal adjustment specialist deals with back problems and helps adjust the back to relieve pressure.
These are just some of the ways health care specialists are attempting to help you live with chronic pain. Changes like these are being brought about by a growing focus in the healthcare industry on patient experience and education, which is driving evolution in care practices and careers to the extent that there are now degrees that exist in strategic innovation in the healthcare field. Professionals in this type of Healthcare Administration are helping lead the industry in a new direction oriented on patient experience. When it comes to chronic pain, avoiding treatment or trying to live like you don’t have it will only make things worse, making it hard for you to do some of the most basic things in life. No one deserves to live that way. Take advantage of these changes in the healthcare field and take charge of your life. Reach out today.