Chronic pain is epidemic and a major driver of healthcare utilization and disability. It is estimated to affect up to one third of Americans. Given this, it is not surprising that pain management is a rapidly growing and evolving field of medical specialization. Because of the wide-ranging and multifactorial nature of chronic pain, pain specialists often work with consultants in surgery, rheumatology and neurology, among other specialties, and experts in allied fields encompassing behavioral health and physical rehabilitation. Sometimes, we call on the talents of acupuncturists and chiropractors. But the most important part of the treatment team is the patient. Without active involvement by our patients, we are rarely successful.
Pain Management Specialists is staffed by board certified anesthesiologists with additional fellowship training and certification in interventional pain management, and by a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in the field of medication management of pain. We work closely with doctors in other fields relevant to each patient’s condition, and with psychologists and physical therapists. Each of these specialties brings unique set of skills to the multidimensional problem of chronic pain.
Patients needing the services of a pain specialist have either acute pain (recent onset) from surgery or severe illness, or chronic pain caused by arthritis, back conditions, headaches, cancer or nerve damage. Our physicians first work to identify the cause of pain, if not already known, then to reduce not only pain intensity, but also the emotional suffering and disability that may ensue from being in pain. Treatment may include traditional pain medications, specific medication for nerve pain or inflammation, physical therapy and chiropractic, electrical stimulation, injections, surgery, psychological approaches like biofeedback, acupuncture and implantable devices. Pain Management Specialists works with each patient to design a unique, multifaceted, and cost-efficient treatment plan., and clearly communicates the plan and monitors results with each patient.
Over the last two decades, tremendous emphasis has been placed on the use of opioid pain medications for chronic pain. The ensuing dramatic increase in the use of opioids has unfortunately been followed by equally dramatic increases in the rates of prescription drug addiction, overdose and death. And the prevalence of pain-related disability has only continued to increase despite the use of these powerful drugs. Several large-scale studies have lately show that chronic opioid use is not effective for the vast majority of patients, and in many cases is harmful. Other studies have shown that reducing or eliminating opioids usually does not lead to worse pain, and often relieves other symptoms associated with opioid use, and improves quality of life. These developments have informed our evolving approach to opioid use at Pain Management Specialists. We no longer believe that most patients can safely and effectively use opioids for the treatment of chronic pain, and we usually do not offer them. At the same time, we have increased our emphasis on physical and functional restoration, and on behavioral therapies and patient self-management. You will continue to see us evolve as we bring behavioral health and rehabilitation specialists into our practice in coming years.
*Prescription Refill Notice: We do not do refills without appointments and we try to prescribe what patients will need until their next appointment. When our patients are out of their medicine, that typically means that they need to be seen. We do not prescribe narcotics without appointments.