Unless your physician refers you to the Pain Management Center to undergo a specific procedure or series of procedures, you will be scheduled to undergo a comprehensive evaluation. During this evaluation, members of the multidisciplinary team will conduct a full physical and psychological assessment of your condition, including a review of your medical records, and X-rays. In some cases, supplemental diagnostic tests may be necessary to further pinpoint the cause of your pain. Once the evaluation has been completed, our Pain Management team will develop an individualized treatment plan.
The treatment plan developed by the Pain Management team will be speciallytailored to your condition and degree of pain, your needs and your personal objectives. You treatment plan may included a single approach, or a combination of different types of therapies: medical therapies, including both medications and special procedures; psychological therapies; and rehabilitation therapies. Your recommended medical therapy may include one or more medications (analgesics). Different medication are prescribed to treat different aspects of your pain. Your recommended treatment plan may also involve the use of investigational medications.
Medications used to treat pain fall into several major categories :
- Opiate "pain killers" are often used to treat acute pain or cancer-related pain, and sometimes prescribed for chronic pain.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs may be helpful in alleviating pain by reducing swelling and irritation.
- Anti-depressants may be helpful in reducing certain types of pain. They may also be used to help patients sleep at night.
- Membrane stabilizers are helpful for some patients in whom pain is caused by abnormal electrical discharges in damaged nerves.
PROCEDURAL THERAPY
KIMS offers a variety of procedures to treat pain, including various neural blocks and several innovative procedures available at only KIMS. Depending on your particular condition, you may be referred for single or ongoing procedural appointments. These procedures may also be used in combination with other therapies.The procedures available at the Pain Management Center include: Epidural Steroid Injection; Hypogastric Plexus Block; Intrathecal Programmable Pump/Spinal Cord Drug Delivery; Intrathecal Catheter Placement; Occipital Nerve Block; Implanted Epidural Portal; Temporary Epidural Catheter; Brachial Plexus Block; Peripheral Nerve Block; Gasserian Ganglion Block; Spinal cord Stimulation and Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY
Chronic pain can have profound psychological effects, including feelings of hopelessness, anger, sadness, and even despair. These feelings can interfere with your ability to perform your job or your normal daily activities.
Psychological therapy can help you to cope with the effects of pain on you and those around you. There are also specific psychological techniques that can actually help to reduce pain. Your treatment plan may include the following psychological therapies: Individual and group counselling; Biofeedback; Relaxation techniques; Self-hypnosis; Visual imaging as well as Learning or conditioning techniques.
REHABILITATION THERAPY
The goal of rehabilitation therapy is to help you resume as active and healthy a lifestyle as possible. Rehabilitation therapies fall into two major categories:
- Physical therapy, which may include exercise, tissue manipulation, and other treatments focused on maximizing function in specific body parts
- Occupational therapy, which is focused on techniques that prepare you to work or your normal daily routine.