Pain Medications Demystified: Types, Mechanisms, And Potential Side Effects
Department of Pain Medicine
4 Min Read
Sep 13, 2023
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The Department of Pain Medicine at Manipal Hospitals' is a comprehensive healthcare provider for thetreatment and management of chronic pain. The department deals with the reduction and prevention of pain and its associated symptoms using medication, rehabilitative therapy, pain relief procedures and counselling to improve the quality of a patient's life.
Manipal Hospitals' Department of Pain Medicine consists of a team of expert algiatrists (pain medicinespecialist), who work alongside anaes thesiologists, chiropractors, physical & occupational therapists, counsellors and psychiatric specialists to diagnose, treat and manage chronic pain in patients.
Everyone experiences some level of pain from time to time. Pain is the most prevalent sign of hundreds of accidents, diseases, disorders, and ailments you may encounter in your lifetime. It may also occur as a result of medical procedures. Pain might be brief and disappear when you heal (acute pain), or it may be felt as a chronic discomfort that can…
According to WHO, 1 in 5 people suffer from chronic pain worldwide. Lower back pain accounts for the majority of chronic pain cases. Effective pain management practices can go a long way in a majority of chronic pain cases, providing relief even without medication.
Pain medicine or pain management becomes the focus of medicine when it is not possible to fully treat or cure the underlying condition. In the absence of a diagnosis, or during the period of waiting between the start of treatment and its results, pain medicine is used to alleviate the discomfort of the patient. Pain management does not necessarily remove all pain, but it makes the pain manageable for the patient.
Treatments used in pain medicine
Interventional procedures - Epidural steroid injections - Nerve ablation - Neuromodulation - Facet joint injections - Neurolytic blocks - Spinal cord stimulators - Intrathecal drug delivery implants (For delivery of medication directly to the spinal fluid) - Spinal cord stimulation
After examining the patient's condition and evaluating the history, a pain specialist will prescribe a few ways to help the patient manage their pain without overly compromising their lifestyle. In severe cases, medications will be recommended as well as regular physical therapy to strengthen the patient's body.
●Old age ●Family history of chronic pain ●Obesity ●Past injuries
By definition, chronic pain is described as pain that persists beyond 3-6 months from the day it first started. Chronic pain is lingering, continuous pain that makes it difficult for a patient to go about their everyday business and also adversely affects their mental health.
In most cases, chronic pain is a symptom of another underlying condition, which could be an illness or injury. It is difficult to predict, and therefore, to prevent.
Manipal Hospitals is actively engaged in an effort to providing high quality health care that is personalised over a long-term partnership with its patients. The department of pain medicine and its endeavour to improve the quality of our patient's lives is a testament to this. Reach out to us to know more about chronic pain and make an appointment with one of our pain medicine specialists today.
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