Chronic Or Acute Pain? Don’t Wait To Get Treated

Sometimes pain “goes away on its own,” but that’s not always the case—and even when that happens, it’s not necessarily a sign that you’re healed. It’s possible for the pain to get worse, cause permanent damage that you might not realize, or come back even years later fiercer than ever. Integrated Pain Consultants is committed to providing a wide range of options to treat both chronic and acute pain with the help of leading experts, including pain management doctors, Dr. Nikesh Seth and Dr. Minesh Zaveri.

Did you suffer a recent trauma but thought it wasn’t “that big of a deal?” The severity and even the location of the pain isn’t always indicative of how serious it is. Maybe you tried to go up in weights at the gym and threw out your back, or maybe you were enjoying a runner’s high and twisted your ankle on a curb. Some patients don’t want to schedule an appointment at a pain clinic for what they think is a minor injury that will heal in a few days, but that can be a big mistake.

Options for Acute Pain Injuries

Acute pain is sudden, and you often have a suspicion about what caused it. A gym injury, fall, or car accident can all cause what you think might be acute pain. The pain itself can range from mild to severe, and genuine acute pain will usually fade on its own. For example, if you’re recovering from a surgery, you can be pretty certain that you’ll soon heal. However, that comes as little comfort when you’re in pain and not able to go about your daily tasks.

There are many situations where a patient can’t be certain if their new pain will be acute or chronic. It’s tempting to self-diagnose, but that’s a messy rabbit hole to go down. What you think might be a muscle spasm in the back from forgetting to wear a belt during your dead lift might actually be a slipped disc. The back is particularly complex, and it’s not uncommon for the origin of the pain to be different from where you’re feeling the pain.

The exact treatment for acute pain will vary based on your diagnosis and body. A common treatment is chiropractic care, especially for the spine. Dr. Weinberg is our on-site chiropractic doctor and specializes in spinal manipulation, non-invasive treatments, and works with patients to decrease pain while offering options for lifestyle changes or physical therapy exercises.

Injections, such as epidurals and corticosteroid injections, can also help with acute pain. The relief is immediate, and acute pain patients may be able to go back to their daily life while your body continues to heal. There’s also RFA, or radiofrequency ablation, which is a minimally invasive procedure that heats up the affected area to block pain signals as your body heals.

Alternatives to Surgery and Medication for Chronic Pain

If you have chronic pain, that means the pain is long-lasting and might even be permanent. Chronic pain can also range from mild to severe and can be caused by a multitude of things, one of which being osteoarthritis. Sometimes there’s no cure for your chronic pain, which means it’s important to choose a safe and effective long-term pain management solution.

The opioid epidemic stems from doctors prescribing addictive prescription drugs to at-risk patients and patients who were struggling with chronic pain. Opioids can be a good solution for certain patients who have acute pain and will only need pain management for a short amount of time. However, prescribing opioids and other prescription drugs for chronic pain sufferers who will use these drugs for a long time leads to a very high risk of abuse and addiction.

Understandably, a lot of chronic pain patients also want to delay or avoid surgery. Surgery has a lot of risks and sometimes a long recovery period. A pain clinic offers alternatives to both of these avenues with a variety of options such as spinal cord manipulation, kyphoplasty, and of course CBD options for natural pain relief.

The sooner you get treatment for any type of pain, the quicker and easier your recovery. Pain can immediately and effectively be lessened with early intervention. If you have pain, start your management journey now by calling Integrated Pain Consultants at (480) 626-2552.