Anyone that lives with chronic pain understands that their pain is never totally gone. And each person has their own level of tolerance. For some, a level that is a 3 or 4 is tolerable and their prescribed opioid analgesia may remove 20% of their pain. They can receive interventional treatments such as medical-branch neurotomy and reduce their pain as much as 50% if the technician is good.
In addition to primary care physicians receiving more training of working with chronic pain patients and how to treat them, patients need, to be honest with their doctors. It is because of those who take advantage of their doctors, some people seeing more than one doctor for the same thing. It is because of those people who are getting addicted to opioids and other medications that we now find ourselves in this position.
Medication, intervention, and surgical procedures often fall short when it comes to curing chronic pain issues. Pain can affect your work abilities and social and private lifestyle, thus straining your relationships and throwing you into perpetual anguish. In such situations, the only option left for the patients is to reduce their activities to minimize their pain levels. Fortunately, rehabilitation programs offered by pain clinics in the U.S. are showing a better way to claim back active lifestyle while managing chronic pain. Let us try to understand how.