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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Yetunde Sannoh, MD
Customized Pain Treatment Plans
Total Wellness Healthcare Clinic

Customized Pain Treatment Plans

Customized Pain Treatment Plans

If you’re one of the 11% of adults living with chronic pain, you should have a pain management plan that’s customized to meet your needs and considers diverse treatment options for optimal results. The leading cause of chronic pain is lower back pain, however there can be pain from many other causes as well. Please don’t continue to suffer with pain.

What Are the Different Types of Pain?

Acute pain is a sudden and often severe pain that goes away in less than 3-6 months after the cause of pain heals. Chronic pain is a constant or recurring pain that lasts longer than 3-6 months.

In some cases, chronic pain begins as an injury with acute pain, but then the pain continues long after the injury heals. Many patients experience continuing pain due to a chronic illness. It’s also possible to have chronic pain without identifying an underlying cause.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Pain?

Some of the most common include:

• Low back pain: herniated or degenerative disc, sciatica, muscle sprain

  Headache: migraine, tension, cluster

  Rheumatologic: osteoarthritis, rheu-matoid arthritis, fibromyalgia

•  Neuropathic pain: diabetic neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome

• Musculoskeletal: sports injuries, soft tissue sprains and strains, repetitive use injury

What Should You Know About Low Back Pain?

Following the common cold, low back pain accounts for the most visits to doctors. It’s also the leading cause of disability in people under 45 years of age, so it’s important to see a doctor if your back pain doesn’t go away in a few weeks.

The most common causes of low back pain include:

• Overuse

• Disc herniation

• Disc degeneration

• Muscle injury

• Arthritis

• Narrowing of the spinal canal

• Compression fracture

How Is Chronic Pain Treated?

Treatment for chronic pain is always individualized. Pain patients often achieve the best results with a responsible pain management plan that takes a multimodal approach. Your pain management plan may include one or more of the following:

Oral medications. There are about 180 non-opioid pain medications, including steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, and nerve stabilizers. Some types of antidepressants also help relieve pain.

Topical medications. Topical lidocaine, NSAIDs, and capsaicin aren’t first-line treatments, but they can temporarily relieve pain and may help you stay active.

Physical activity. Exercise improves pain and helps restore physical functioning. Depending on the severity of your pain, your doctor may help with an exercise plan or refer you to a physical therapist.

Alternative therapies. A variety of alternative therapies can alleviate stress and diminish pain. You may find relief with alternative options, such as massage therapy.

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