What Do Pain Management Doctors Do?

After an injury, poor sleeping habits, or a build-up of muscle tension, the pain may become constant and unbearable. To better manage this incessant pain, you can seek the help of pain management doctors. 

Unmanaged pain can be a barrier in completing daily tasks such as sitting at an office desk or going grocery shopping. If your day is constantly disrupted by unbearable pain, you should look into different pain management options to help you better manage lingering pain. 

What is Pain Management?

Pain management gives you techniques and tools to help cope with long-term pain. Nearly 100 million Americans live with long-term pain.

Medical professionals running diagnostic tests to address the root of your pain. They create a treatment plan to help you better live with pain or tension. 

How Pain Affects the Body 

Long-term pain affects millions of people every day; it can inhibit your energy levels and quality of life. Pain can cause physiological and behavioral changes. 

If you live with long-term pain, you may exhibit physiological symptoms such as increased blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate. The periodic flares of sharp pain can also result in goosebumps or pale skin. Pain puts your body into a state of alert that can produce these identifiable symptoms. 

Pain can also adversely affect your mental state. The build-up of perpetual pain can result in the inability to sleep, fatigue, a loss of appetite, or mood swings. These psychological shifts can change a person's behavior and affect their ability to function. 

Reasons to Use  Pain Management Doctors

Finding a pain management doctor can be an exhausting task. It would help if you prioritized finding a specialist who can help alleviate your pain.  AZ Pain Doctors has many offices around Arizona and can help you work to alleviate your pain immediately. 

Pain is a prevalent thing to deal with. However, when pain begins to inhibit your daily activities and become too unbearable, you need professional help. Pain management professionals use diagnostic tools to help classify your pain and develop a treatment plan. 

Find the Real Source of Pain 

There are two types of pain addressed by pain management professionals:  acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain refers to the residual pain from an injury; this pain is typically short-term. Chronic pain exists outside of the context of an injury. 

Pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp sting. Your pain may be concentrated in one area or throughout your body. Being able to define your pain is a primary step in the diagnostic process. 

A pain management clinic seeks to identify the source of pain or location of pain to see if it is a byproduct of a greater condition. Identifying the source of the pain allows professionals to create. Comprehensive pain management plan. 

Define Treatment Goals 

The overall goal of pain management professionals is to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. Depending on if you are suffering from acute or chronic pain, you may be creating a new routine to help alleviate your pain long-term or looking for a short-term solution. 

Pain Management Techniques 

Pain management services can help improve a patient's overall quality of life by better managing chronic and acute pain. A comprehensive pain management plan can allow patients to experience daily relief. 

Medication for Pain Management 

Your pain management treatment may include the use of a pain management medication. Typically, medicated treatments are designed for patients suffering from acute pain. 

Pain medications such as Asprin or Paracetamol are used to help curb short-term pain. Grabbing your over-the-counter pain medication to help may seem like the right choice. However, the best pain medication depends on what type of pain you have.

You should consult with a pain management specialist to help you choose the right pain medication. A pain management clinic can help you find the most effective medication for pain relief. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps patients manage their pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is designed to allow patients to regain control.

This can be therapeutic when it feels as if their pain has overtaken their lives. Through long-term training, patients can work to reduce muscle tension and decrease their overall pain. 

Cognitive-behavioral therapists can use long-term skills and give patients coping mechanisms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for pain management is typically through individual or small group treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy allows patients to independently manage their chronic pain. They can do this once they have mastered proficiency in the pain management skillset. 

Physical Therapy 

Physical therapy can be a very effective tool in reducing chronic pain. Physical Therapy can help give patients the proper tools to regain control of their lives.

Physical therapy is a great tool in pain management. Patients focus on strength-building exercises and increasing patients' mobility.

Physical therapy sessions may include massages. These are to alleviate inflammation, strength building, and mobility exercises. 

Long-term chronic pain can leave you wanting to remain stationary. Increased mobility can relieve muscle tension and produce a steady stream of endorphins to boost your pain tolerance levels.

Massages and Acupuncture 

Massages can be used to relieve stress, anxiety, and pain. Massages can increase the production of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine in the body. The release of these neurotransmitters can help to decrease pain and reduce muscle tension. 

Masseuses are going to use a variety of pressures to engage your muscles and nerves during a massage. Depending on the location or type of pain you're experiencing, your masseuse may apply pressure to help reduce tension.

Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles into the skin in strategic positions. Although the insertion of these needles is known to cause some slight discomfort, the needles' stimulation increases blood flow and activates the body's natural painkillers.  

Use Pain Management Doctors 

Pain management doctors specialize in evaluating and treating your acute or chronic pain. Consult a pain management expert near you to improve your quality of life. Connect with us to help you develop a comprehensive pain management plan.