How Do Pain Management Clinics Work?

You’ve been suffering from chronic pain that just won’t let up. You need relief, but you’re wary of harsh medications and invasive surgeries. If that sounds like you, you might be feeling a bit of despair just now; but the good news is that professionals at a pain management clinic can help you find the right treatments to lower your pain and increase your quality of life.

If you’ve never visited a pain management clinic before, here’s some information on what to expect and how they might help you. 

What Are Pain Management Clinics For?

Pain management clinics exist to help people manage conditions that cause chronic pain. While some practitioners do prescribe medications, that scenario is rare; instead, their main focus is always on the sorts of physical, behavioral, and psychological therapies that will lead to the best possible outcome for each patient.

At a pain management clinic, the health care professionals will teach you more about your condition, encourage lifestyle changes that have proven effective for others in your situation, and perhaps recommend solutions from the realm of alternative medicine.

The goal is to cut your pain and raise your quality of life. Treatment at a pain clinic can give you the skills to manage your chronic pain on your own and make you more able to function, possibly so that you may return to work. (WebMD)

Despite the advances of modern medicine, not every condition is completely “healable.” The doctors, nurses, and technicians working at pain management clinics come alongside those suffering chronic pain and give them the tools needed to press forward despite the lack of a clear cure. 

What to Expect on Your First Visit

Whether your first time with us is through a telemedicine consultation or an in-person visit, we will review your medical history, perhaps conducting a physical exam, and ask questions that will help us get to the root of the issues causing you pain. Though in some cases we may be able to offer advice and/or treatment during the initial visit, it’s more likely that any treatments or procedures will require some preparation and a subsequent visit. 

During your first appointment, it’s important that you’re completely open and forthright with your pain management specialists. Though it may feel uncomfortable at times, try to answer their questions as honestly as you can. The more accurate their information, the more effectively they’ll be able to treat you.

Who Should Consider a Pain Management Clinic?

Most of our patients fit into one or more of the following categories:

• They’ve been suffering for months with no relief
• Their pain is interfering with their sleep schedules and daily activities
• Standard treatments prescribed by their general practitioners are having little to no effect
• Medications aren’t helping (or improvement has plateaued)
• They would like to avoid taking any medications if possible 
• They need relief but would like to avoid surgery

If you live in or around Mensa, Arizona and you recognize yourself in that list, you may be a good fit for treatment here at Gateway Pain Solutions.

We use minimally invasive procedures to treat issues like back pain, chronic headaches, arthritis, herniated discs, compression fractures, stenosis, and other acute and chronic conditions; and our innovative approaches like regenerative medicine and spinal cord stimulation help patients find pain relief without extensive or aggressive surgery.