Living with chronic pain affects an extremely large number of people on a daily basis. Dealing with it is not easy. It is so much more than just experiencing pain constantly. That alone is hard enough. Beyond that, there are so many complications that come along with chronic pain. Daily discomfort can be isolating, exhausting, and debilitating. It can be hard to fully explain the degree to which it affects someone’s life because they “look fine.” The causes can range from things like poor posture to other reasons like surgical complications or cancer. Regardless of the cause, finding a pain management doctor that truly listens and wants to help can be difficult. Unfortunately, some pain management doctors in West Orange just want to head straight to a surgical solution. However, that can be very scary for some patients and is not always the best option.
Causes of Chronic Pain
The causes of chronic pain are vast and varied. Some causes are directly related to a person’s life and work. Things like poor posture, jobs that require lots of heavy lifting, and being overweight can all contribute to feelings of discomfort and pain. Sleeping in the wrong position or on the wrong pillow and/or mattress can also leave someone feeling sore. Other causes are completely out of someone’s control. Many autoimmune diseases come with their fair share of symptoms. Many of them leave the patient in constant agony. Fibromyalgia is a well-known disease that causes chronic pain. People that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and many types of cancer are always battling an unseen predator. No one is immune to the monster that is chronic pain.
Injectable Treatment Option for Patients of Pain Management Doctors in West Orange
Since one cause of chronic pain can be complications form surgeries, it is not hard to understand why some patients may be hesitant to undergo additional procedures. While some doctors may push for invasive procedures, many pain management doctors in West Orange understand this hesitation and offer many non-invasive treatment options. Many treatments involve injections of steroids into the afflicted area. Lumbar, cervical, and caudal epidural shots are all common non-invasive treatment options for pain.
Nerve blocks are also common treatments for certain causes of chronic pain. Facet/medial branch, celiac plexus, and cervical nerve blocks are all examples. These injections block the communication pathway of a nerve to the brain effectively stopping the pain signal. This essentially relieves the patient of pain in the area the injection is performed.
Others use regenerative medicine options like stem cells and platelet rich plasma. The goal of these treatments is to “regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues.” This type of treatment uses the body’s own ability to heal to help itself. One positive aspect of these therapies is that they use the patients own blood and cells so there is little possibility of rejection or complications.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures May be the Only Option for Pain Management Doctors in West Orange
In some cases, a surgical procedure may be the only option. Usually, these procedures are the doctor’s last resort. Any surgical procedure is stressful. This is why only minimally invasive options are considered by most pain management doctors in West Orange. One option for sufferers of chronic back pain is a discectomy. This removes a portion of a disc that is causing a patient pain. It is very effective at helping patients that have a herniated disc that is causing pain to radiate down their arms and legs. Another type of treatment offered by many pain doctors in New Jersey is called rhizotomy. This procedure kills the nerve fibers of a painful nerve stopping the pain signals completely. Patients often experience a few years of relief from this type of procedure. In addition, there are many more minor surgeries that can help people lead a pain free life.
One of the highest rated pain management doctors in West Orange is Progressive Pain Management. They offer all the treatments we’ve discussed in this article plus so many more. They truly listen to a patient to make a treatment plan with the greatest chance of success.