Living with chronic pain is more than just an inconvenience. Chronic pain is linked to a variety of other health conditions including depression, insomnia, a decrease in self-esteem and even problems with enjoying life. The key to preventing these changes in your life is to seek the help of pain management doctors before these issues become problematic.
The Typical Doctor Visit
Often patients report pain to a primary care physician during a regular visit. The doctor typically prescribes a general pain medication, an over-the-counter option, which may have some limited success in minimizing the pain. However, with chronic pain, the effectiveness of these treatments is minimal and very short lived. Many patients don’t tell their doctor that they are still in pain or, even worse, the doctor may not recognize the severity and chronic nature of the pain.
The next step for a general physician is to increase the medication to include prescription pain medications. For acute pain due to an injury, illness or during recovery this can be a viable solution, but long term use of these medications is never advised. Addiction and significant health issues are common with many of the prescription pain medications.
Specialization in Treatment of Pain
Gainesville pain management doctors are specially trained in pain management techniques for chronic pain issues. These can include injury, trauma and disease of the musculoskeletal structure of the body as well as conditions that may occur because of genetic or congenital factors. When the options provided and recommended by your current physician or specialist are not addressing the pain it is important to seek the services of a specialist.
The Team Approach
Pain management doctors in Gainesville, GA will work with your current treatment team to provide a comprehensive plan for your treatment and recovery. They may recommend additional procedures that can limit pain through blocking impulses sent by the nerves or by actually treating the source of the pain. Often these procedures are highly specialized and beyond the scope of the services that could be offered by a general surgeon or physician.
If you have chronic pain that is not being effectively treated by your physician, consider seeking the services of Gainesville pain management doctors. They can discuss your options for treatment and help you live the pain-free life you deserve.
