When you first hear the phrase pain management, many things may come to mind. Many people tend to focus on the first word – pain – instead of concentrating on how the medical field employs techniques to manage the pain. Truth be told, pain management is a branch of medicine that focuses on how to improve the quality of life of individuals who suffer from chronic pain. Various professionals play integral roles on a team dedicating to managing pain. Here are a few things to keep in mind should you ever encounter such a team.
Team Members
A pain management team is far from small. Think of it as a mini network of professionals who come together to focus on how to manage and relieve your pain on nearly all levels. It is not uncommon to have general physicians, nurses, massage therapists and other medical professionals on board. Their job collectively is to determine any underlying trauma that contributes to the current pain and strategies to put in place in order to resolve that pain. For example, if you lived in the greater Brooklyn, NY area and you were suffering from severe back pain from a traumatic car accident that occurred years ago, your team might come together and for a plan that addresses the trauma that was believed to be at the core of your pain issue.
Treatment
From a physical perspective, the management of pain encompasses a variety of approaches, depending on the medical or health care professional. New York providers tend to employ these approaches as necessary. The physical approach infuses both medicine and physical therapy into the treatment approach. Combining pain medicine with physical therapy is one option that seems to work pretty well for most patients. Patients are able to see results and certain approaches may work better with certain individuals. It’s important for the team assigned with the task of managing the patient’s pain to come up with an effective plan the produces results.
When seeking out a team dedicated to solving pain issues, evaluate the track record and treatment options offered. It’s important to have the best team available to address any pain issues that are minimizing your quality of life.
A pain management team is something that most long time pain sufferers aspire to have. Understanding how various medical professionals play an integral role is essential. If you live in the greater New York are and are interested in learning more about local providers, visit
