Pain Management

Pain Management

Medical Author: Standiford Helm II, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction to pain management
• How is pain treatment guided?
• What are the basic types of pain?
  • Nociceptive pain
  • Neuropathic pain
• What are other causes of pain

Introduction to pain management

Pain management can be simple or complex, according to its cause. An example of pain that is typically less complex would be nerve root irritation from a herniated disc with pain radiating down the leg. This condition can often be alleviated with an epidural steroid injection and physical therapy. Sometimes, however, the pain does not go away. This can require a wide variety of skills and techniques to treat the pain. These skills and techniques include:

• Interventional procedures
• Medication management
• Physical therapy or chiropractic therapy
• Psychological counseling and support
• Acupuncture and other alternative therapies; and
• Referral to other medical specialists

All of these skills and services are necessary because pain can involve many aspects of a person's daily life.

How is pain treatment guided?

In order for a structure to cause pain, it must have a nerve supply, be susceptible to injury, and stimulation of the structure should cause pain. The concept behind most interventional procedures for treating pain is that there is a specific structure in the body with nerves of sensation that is generating the pain. Pain management has a role in identifying the precise source of the problem and isolating the optimal treatment.

Fluoroscopy is an X-ray guided viewing method. Fluoroscopy is often used to assist the doctor in precisely locating the injection so that the medication reaches the appropriate spot and only the appropriate spot.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/pain_management/article.htm