More than 100 million people in the United States have chronic conditions that won’t go away. Many fail to get relief from pills, shots and surgery, while others trade the sensation for unwanted side effects. These side effects can include such things as drowsiness or digestive problems. Unfortunately, too many can become addicted to medications while trying to relieve their condition.
As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, a variety of technologies offer new hope to people living with chronic illnesses.
“Pain is one of the most challenging things to treat because its source can be elusive,” says Richard Rosenquist, M.D., chair of the Committee on Pain Medicine and chairman of the department of pain management at the Anesthesiology Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. “That’s why it’s vital to see a physician specializing in pain medicine who can help identify the source of the pain and suggest which pain method might work best.”
Physician anesthesiologists who specialize in pain management have extensive training and expertise in finding the cause of suffering. Partnering with their patients to create a plan for managing conditions and improving function, which may include one or more of the new techniques.
Relieving Chronic Pain with New Treatments
- Radio waves — Radiofrequency (RF) ablation involves heating a tiny area of nerve tissue, which short circuits nerve signals. The physician inserts a needle into the nerve responsible for the pain and then zaps it. This zap occurs by using an electric current created by radio waves.
- Medical Blocks — Physicians inject numbing medication that blocks or dampens nerve sensations, and might even stop chronic pain from developing. Afflictions in the arm or face can be relieved by blocking nerves in the neck. While chronic abdominal conditions can be relieved by an injection into nerves supplying the abdomen.
- Electric signals — Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can provide short-term relief for certain types of muscle aches by sending low voltage electric signals from a small device to the effected area through pads attached to the skin.
By Brandpoint
10/09/2015
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