How do I know if I have chronic pain?
Integrated Spine And Pain Care treats a broad spectrum of pain types related to various body parts and conditions. The types of pain include:
Acute pain
Acute pain begins quickly or suddenly and may be severe. However, the pain you feel is short-term and lasts less than 3-6 months or even only a few hours or days.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than six months. Your persistent pain may be mild to severe.
Sub-acute pain
Like acute and chronic pain, sub-acute pain may range from mild to severe. The length of time you feel discomfort is typically greater than three months, but less than six months.
What are the common causes of chronic pain?
You can develop chronic pain from several conditions. Common causes of chronic pain include:
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated disc
- Ankle sprain
- Headaches and migraines
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Peripheral neuralgia
- Phantom limb pain
- Back or neck pain
- Sciatica
- Piriformis syndrome
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Cancer
- Metastatic cancer of the spine
Chronic pain is more common in women and older adults.
What happens during a chronic pain consultation?
The specifics of your chronic pain consultation at Integrated Spine And Pain Care depends on your personal needs. Dr. Sarij takes a holistic approach to interventional pain management and conducts comprehensive evaluations to better understand the underlying cause of your pain, as well as the effect your chronic pain has on your daily life.
During your consultation, Dr. Sarij asks detailed questions about your symptoms, medical and medication history, as well as your daily activities and stresses. He then conducts a physical exam, which may include specific diagnostic testing such as lab testing, X-rays, or MRI.
How is chronic pain treated?
Dr. Sarij develops individualized treatment plans for chronic pain based on the underlying cause of your pain, the severity of your symptoms, and your overall health.
Some of the pain management treatments available at Integrated Spine And Pain Care include:
- Exercise program
- Cervical, thoracic, or lumbar epidural steroid injection
- Cervical or thoracic facet radiofrequency neurotomy
- Spinal cord stimulator implant (trial procedure)
- Lumbar sympathetic block
- Cervical selective nerve root block
- Trigger point injections
- Facet joint injections
- Medial branch block
- Sacroiliac joint steroid injection
- Vertebroplasty
- Genicular nerve ablation
- Hip joint injection
- Ketamine infusion
- Intrathecal pump implant
- As well as advanced options
Dr. Sarij works closely with you to develop a treatment plan that fits your needs and helps you get back to your active lifestyle.
For comprehensive care for your chronic pain, call Integrated Spine And Pain Care, or book an appointment online today.
