Pain treatments

There are several different therapies that are used for pain management. Below is the brief overview of the typical therapies for treating pain.  Oftentimes, more than one treatment is used to help relieve pain.

Drug therapy – nonprescription and prescription

·          Tylenol

·         NSAIDS(aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen)

·        Anti-anxiety meds(diazepam)

·        Antidepressants(Cymbalta)

·        Prescription NSAIDS(Celebrex)

·        Codeine, Fentanyl, Percocet or Vicodin

·        PCA pump(computerized pump that patient’s control to deliver medication through a small tube intravenously)

·        Pain procedures – Nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation of nerves, steroid injections.

·       Trigger Point Injections – local anesthetic injected into the muscle where the pain is to help relax the muscle.

Surgical implants

·        Intrathecal drug delivery – aka infusion pain pumps.  The surgeon makes a pocket under the skin that is large enough to hold the medicine pump.  The surgeon also inserts a catheter which carries pain medications from the pump to the intrathecal space around the spinal cord.

·        Spinal Cord Stimulation implants – low-level electrical  signals are transmitted to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain.  The device that delivers the electrical signals is surgical implanted in the body.

Tens – Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy uses electrical stimulation to diminish pain.  Low voltage electrical currents are delivered through electrodes that are placed on the skin near the source of pain.

Bioelectric therapy – relieves pain by blocking pain messages to the brain.  It also prompts the body to produce chemicals called endorphins that decrease or eliminate painful sensations by blocking the message of pain from being delivered to the brain.

Physican Therapy – uses special techniques that improve movement and function impaired by an injury or disability.

Alternative therapies – acupuncture, massage, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation therapies, therapeutic touch, herbal therapies and dietary approach.

Mind-Body Therapies – relaxation techniques, meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, hypnosis and visualization.

This information was found on Web MD