Pain Management

When you are struggling with chronic pain, it can impact every aspect of your life. While some types of pain can be treated using a fairly simple approach, other types of long-term pain may be more difficult to treat. Until an effective form of pain management is found, living a full life may seem impossible.

Treating chronic pain can be particularly complex for people recovering from substance abuse. Addiction professionals and pain management specialists, who focus on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain, will create a treatment plan that includes non-addictive medications and directly addresses pain as a relapse trigger. Using a team approach that may include doctors, physical therapists, psychologists and possibly alternative health providers such as acupuncturists and massage therapists, pain management professionals put together a comprehensive pain management plan.

Pain Management Treatment Options 

There are many options for the treatment of chronic pain. You may need to try different approaches before you are able to get relief. Some approaches to pain relief include:

• Medication management, which may include both over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Psychological support
• Acupuncture

Strategies for Pain Management 

The strategies used will depend on the cause of your pain and what treatment options have been tried already. Recommended medications may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or possibly prescription medications. Corticosteroids may relieve severe inflammation. Local injections may be used to help muscle spasms and swelling.

Other treatments that have been shown to relieve symptoms of pain include electrical stimulation, physical therapy and chiropractic care. Psychological counseling may help you to cope with living with chronic pain, and mental health professionals may be able to help you learn relaxation techniques that offer some relief.

At Elements Behavioral Health, some of our centers partner with experts in pain management. When you work with pain management professionals, you are in the hands of experts that will treat you with compassion. They will work with you until you find the most relief possible.

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