What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is best described as pain that persists past the normal time necessary for healing. Depending on the clinical problem, this may be less than a month or more than six months according to the International Association for the Study of Pain.

We understand the mechanism of pain and know how it can affect every minute of your life. We know that the pain is not “all in your head” and can help by:

  • Accurately evaluating your pain.
  • Decreasing your degree of pain by using state-of-the-art medical technology.
  • Helping you gain coping skills that will put you back in control.

There are many types of chronic pain, including unresolved acute, subacute, chronic and chronic intractable conditions such as:

  • Back problems
  • Leg pain
  • Complex regional pain syndromes Types I and II
  • Arthritis
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Cancer pain
  • Shingles and other nervous system disorders
  • Unresolved abdominal pain
  • Myofasical pain syndrome / fibromyalgia
  • Diabetic neuropathy

Treatment through understanding

An accurate diagnosis is critical to developing a plan to treat your pain. The multidisciplinary team at the Pain Management Center will develop a plan individualized to meet your needs. To help us learn about you, we will send you two questionnaires to fill out and bring to your first appointment. This will be important in helping us understand your pain, treatment and medical history.

During your initial appointment, our pain management physician will evaluate you. This appointment will take at least one hour and will be a good time to ask any questions you may have. The physician will then discuss your individual treatment plan possibilities — which may include additional appointments at the Center.

The availability of a multidisciplinary team broadens the scope of treatment options. This approach allows for the best possible results for each patient. One or all of these treatment options may be used:

  • Medication
  • Nerve blocks (relieving pain with an injection of a local anesthetic near a specific nerve)
  • Biofeedback (helping you learn to control body responses)
  • Behavior modification
  • Psychological counseling
  • Implantable pumps for continuous delivery of medication
  • Spinal cord stimulators
  • Physical therapy
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
  • Occupational therapy

Our physicians will discuss with you the expected outcomes and possible complications.