Understanding How Chronic Back Pain Is Managed

Health & Medical Blog

Living with chronic back pain can greatly diminish a person's quality of life. Whether your doctors are still trying to discover the source of your back pain, or you have had a back surgery that was not successful, spending every day in pain can lead to depression, inability to participate in normal daily activities, and even loss of employment if you are unable to go to work. Most people with chronic back pain that is severe need help managing their pain-- continue reading to learn more about common back pain management techniques used for patients:

Meet with a Pain Management Specialist

In most cases, people with chronic and severe back pain are referred to physicians who specialize in pain management. This physician will work with the doctor treating you, to create a pain management plan that will best help your condition. The doctors who specialize in pain management for back pain are often physiatrists or anesthesiologists. 

Physical Therapy

When it comes to chronic back pain, non-invasive forms of pain management are often the first things tried. Many people with back pain will be prescribed physical therapy, where they will be able to work with a therapist that assists in completing exercises that are designed to increase strength and flexibility in the back in the hopes of relieving pain.

Muscle Relaxants

Depending on the reason for chronic back pain, muscle relaxers may be prescribed. This type of medication works by preventing muscle spasms in the back that may be painful. Muscle relaxants must be taken exactly as prescribed, and you should not consume alcohol or operate a vehicle when you take this medication.

Narcotics

Narcotic pain medication may be used in limited doses for severe chronic back pain. Since narcotics can be extremely habit-forming, your pain management physician will closely monitor you while you are using narcotics for pain. In most cases, doctors try to avoid long-term prescriptions of narcotics.

Injections

When the source of chronic back pain is related to the spine, injections may be used to help give a person relief from severe pain. Steroids or anesthetic medication may be injected directly into the joints, ligaments, or around nerves to either reduce inflammation or provide a numbness that prevents pain from being felt. While these type of injections can be very effective when they are done, they are short-term solutions. A person may need injections into their back regularly to help manage pain. 

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23 June 2017

Seniors Deserve the Best

Seniors are like any other specialized group of people. They need services specific to their needs. Everything from nutrition to housekeeping to travel is different for seniors, and the services they receive should reflect that. I am a mental health care provider, and I work exclusively with people over the age of 65. My goal is to help educate the general population about the special needs of seniors and to inspire people to make their homes, businesses and lives more acceptable to the older generations. Seniors deserve our care and attention, and I hope that I can show others how to provide it.