Pain-What could be done with it?
Pain is unavoidable; and is part and parcel of our lives. It serves the important function of telling our brain that our tissues are damaged. Most pains lasts only for a week or two; if it lasts longer, it stops being useful and becomes a problem. Chronic pain is the fraction of pain that nature cannot heal, which does not resolve over time, and worsens gradually or rapidly. It can begin in many ways — as trivial as a minor injury or as grave as cancer. Eventually, the tissue heals or the cancer goes into remission, and yet the pain continues and begins to assume a life of its own. Let us consider chronic low back pain, for instance. There is no purpose served of a pain telling the brain that there is a problem in the spine for years. Especially when the MRI scan says there is not much damage! Such persistent and unmanageable pain serves no purpose and interferes with one’s daily routine. It makes people give up things that they like and that they enjoy doing. Pain hampers daily life, is a debilitating disease in its own right, and is a burden not only for the sufferer, but also to his or her family and friends. The under treatment of pain is the most serious issue in modern medicine today.
What more could be done?
When conventional medical treatment such as tablets and pills do not work any more, there is an alternative – Interventional Pain Medicine. In this, the first step is to diagnose the source of the pain with precision. This is done with X-ray, ultrasound or CT-scan guided local anesthetic injections. Following the diagnosis, long term solutions are planned by stopping the nerve from carrying the pain signals, by using advanced technologies such as radio frequency, spinal cord stimulators and spinal pumps. There are different injections for different pains, and close to 200 different procedures can be used to help reduce pain. A significant number of patients benefit from them.
At Atlas Pain Care, Coimbatore, we manage chronic pain conditions including, but not limited to, spinal pain, nerve damage pain, cancer pain, and joint pains (of the knee, shoulder, etc.). Our wide-ranging treatment options are scientifically proven, safe and effective. Our multi-disciplinary team includes pain specialists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Our tailored multidisciplinary approach that provides a customised solution on an individual basis will help sufferers manage their distress, get them on the road to recovery and make a difference to their lives.
Reducing pain is just the start — the goal is functional restoration. An individualised program involving simple exercises, diet, lifestyle modifications, ergonomics, relaxation techniques and other modalities, helps keep sufferers away from the vicious cycle of pain and maintain a positive outlook.
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