How Pain Management Can Relieve Your Symptoms and Brighten Your Life

Chronic pain can stem from a condition like arthritis or an injury. It’s different from acute pain — pain that resolves in six weeks or less — in that it can go on for months or years. Many people who have chronic pain have lived with it for years.

At Summit Primary Care, board-certified family physician Lawrence Scott Wilner, DO, and our team know that chronic pain can take over your life and become the thing that you think about most. That can make caring for your family, fulfilling career goals, or even enjoying hobbies difficult.

We offer pain management to help you get your life back.

The effect of chronic pain

Aside from the physical aspect of chronic pain, which is significant, there are also psychological and emotional impacts of living with pain. Your mood is affected and your risk of developing mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, is higher when you live with chronic pain.

Pain is the most frequent reason people visit their primary care physicians Even so, nearly 20% of people who have pain say they haven’t visited a health care provider because they don’t think anyone or anything can improve their pain.

Pain increases the use of health care services, lowers your productivity, and most of all, lessens your overall quality of life.

What pain management involves

Your pain management program is tailored to your situation. If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, for example, your pain management program differs considerably compared to the program for someone who has chronic low back pain.

There may be some similarities, because chronic pain raises certain risks and limits your life, regardless of the cause of the pain, but addressing your underlying issue is also a key aspect of managing the pain that results.

Medication

At one time, pain management involved an entire team of health care providers and complementary professionals working together. Due to changes in how insurance works along with the introduction of opioids like oxycontin in the 1990s, the way we approach pain management changed.

Pain medication can be an important weapon in your arsenal against chronic pain. But today we know the dangers associated with opioids.

For that reason, we regularly review your medications, check in with you about whether you’re experiencing side effects, and stay updated on new medications that may be less dangerous.

Injections

Depending on the type of pain you have and the underlying reasons for it, injections may be a good approach for you. We offer cortisone injections, which can reduce inflammation. We may also suggest hyaluronic acid injections to lubricate and hydrate tissues, or toradol injections, which can treat moderate to severe pain.

You may benefit from medical Botox® injections. Although you might think of Botox as a cosmetic procedure, it also has medical applications. Specifically, it can treat chronic migraines.

Devices

In some cases, using a brace or splint or taping can help relieve your pain. Physical therapy can be beneficial as well.

In many instances, creating a pain management program that works for you involves a combination of approaches, along with such lifestyle changes as:

Lowering stress
Creating an exercise routine that works for you
Working on excellent sleep hygiene

If you’re ready to learn more about how pain management can lessen your pain and brighten your life, schedule an appointment at one of our three Summit Primary Care locations. Our offices are in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo, Colorado. We’re happy to answer your questions.