Why Visit a Pain Clinic?
Pain is horrible thing to live with. Waking up, dealing with the same issue day after day, is frustrating. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, “more than half of all hospitalized patients experienced pain in the last days of their lives and although therapies are present to alleviate most pain for those dying of cancer, research shows that 50-75% of patients die in moderate to severe pain. An estimated 20% of American adults (42 million people) report that pain or physical discomfort.” That is why treating at a good pain clinic is a crucial part of managing pain.
The impact that pain has on the everyday life of most Americans is drastic. According to a recent Institute of Medicine Report: Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research, pain is a significant public health problem that costs society at least $560-$635 billion annually, an amount equal to about $2,000.00 for everyone living in the U.S. This includes the total incremental cost of health care due to pain from ranging between $261 to $300 billion and $297-$336 billion due to lost productivity (based on days of work missed, hours of work lost, and lower wages).
These statistics clearly show that pain must be addressed. The question is – how can pain clinics help in a effective and efficient manner?
Pain Clinics help with pain
How pain clinics approach pain
Most people turn to pain medications such as Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. These include aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, etc. Be wary about exceeding the recommended daily dose of the medication. Carefully read the label to have an awareness about possible side effects. If you are taking other medications, check with your medical doctor about possible risks.
In cases when the OTC medications do not help, your medical doctor at your local pain clinic will typically prescribe prescription medications that usually come in two forms – oral and topical. The reason these medications are “prescription only” is because they often contain addictive properties. These type of medications often include opiates, tricyclics, anticonvulsants, and muscles relaxers.
In severe cases, pain clinics advise invasive procedures such as nerve blockers, localized anesthetics, electrical stimulation or even surgery. Obviously, these procedures should be a last resort option due to the fact that they typically contain more risk and have more potential side effects.
At Abundant Life Chiropractic, we take a natural, non-invasive, non-surgical approach to treating pain. We focus on the neurological aspect of the body through gentle, instrument-based chiropractic adjustments. Our treatments help by decreasing the nociceptor response and shifting your body from a “sympathetic-dominant” mode into a “parasympathetic” mode. This help relax your body and put it into a state of “ease”.
If you are dealing with pain, we encourage you to try a natural, non-invasive pain clinic before opting for more invasive options. Call our office at 952-300-8338 for a no-obligation consultation to see how we can help you today!
References
http://www.painmed.org/files/facts-and-figures-on-pain.pdf
http://www.painmed.org/patientcenter/facts_on_pain.aspx
