Pain begins from a simple thing like cutting your finger and is the only way you will know something is wrong. When you recover, you will stop feeling pain, and the injury will heal. However, chronic pain is different because your body will continue to be in pain for a long time following an injury. Such severe pain can interfere with your daily life, but with chronic pain management dubuque, you have a chance at an improved life. Your doctor may recommend different treatments to help you manage pain. Here are a few such chronic pain management options.
Cryotherapy
The treatment comes in different forms, including ice packs, ice massages, ice baths, and coolant sprays to relieve pain. Cold therapy lowers the skin temperature and reduces nerve activity, pain, and swelling. Cryotherapy is most effective for managing pain and swelling around the joint. At home, you can wrap the cold pack you will be using in a towel and not apply it directly to your skin. Apply ice for up to 20 minutes daily and check for sensation to avoid damaging your tissues.
Electrical Nerve Stimulation
During this treatment, your doctor passes an electric current through your skin to treat chronic pain. First, your doctor will insert an electrode through your skin and connect it to a stimulator you can control. Usually, you will begin with a trial phase that will lead to the next step if it proves to be a success. Next, your doctor will implant a permanent stimulator, and then you and your doctor will determine the suitable pulse strength. Electrical nerve stimulation is effective for chronic pain from failed back surgery syndrome, severe numbness, and chronic pain syndromes.
Trigger Point Therapy
You can receive direct injections in the affected area of your body where you have developed tight muscles and thus created a trigger point. Usually, your doctor will recommend trigger point therapy after you have tried conservative treatments, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and physical therapy but have not found relief. The treatment can benefit you by reducing inflammation in the surrounding area and causing pain. You may require several treatment sessions.
Facet Joint Injection
Your doctor can recommend this minimally invasive procedure to reduce pain in your small joints, known as the facets, thus reducing back pain for several months. Facet joint injections can work effectively for pain that fails to respond to conservative treatments. Your doctor can recommend treatment for osteoarthritis, joint instability, inflammation, and impingement of joint issues. Additionally, facet joint injections can help diagnose facet joint pain to identify the cause of pain.
Ultrasound Therapy
Treatment with ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to penetrate your soft tissues and increase blood flow. As a result, you will receive pain relief, improved circulation, and promote healing.
Chronic pain goes beyond normal acute pain that recovers after a short time but instead lasts a long time, even for years. You will have limited ability to move or even work your daily activities. Although you will receive pain medications, they may not eliminate the pain. Your doctor will recommend alternative management options to reduce pain and your reliance on pain medications. Common approaches include cryotherapy, electrical stimulation, trigger point injections, and ultrasound therapy. You can discuss several approaches with your doctor and then discuss a suitable option depending on your chronic pain.