Maryland | Clearway Pain Solutions (2024)

FAQs

How hard is it to get a chronic pain diagnosis? ›

Pain is usually a symptom, so your healthcare provider needs to determine what's causing your pain, if possible. Pain is subjective — only the person experiencing it can identify and describe it — so it can be difficult for providers to determine the cause. If you have long-lasting pain, see your healthcare provider.

A crucial way to communicate your level of pain with your doctor is to talk about the functional impact it has on your day-to-day life. You may know how pain has changed your life in a larger sense; how it's made you a different person, or caused you to give up activities you loved.

In accordance with the Golden Rule, physicians can take the following steps to improve communication: When entering the room of patients in pain, always tell them that you are there to help comfort them and to do your best to relieve their pain. Remain calm and show empathy. Express concerns for the patient's feelings.

One often overlooked aspect of pain management is the role of relaxation techniques. By incorporating these techniques into their daily routines, individuals can significantly reduce the intensity of their pain and improve their quality of life.

Trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or fifth cranial nerve. It is one of the most painful conditions known.

Acetaminophen is generally considered safer than other pain relievers. It doesn't cause side effects such as stomach pain and bleeding. However, taking more than the recommended dose or taking acetaminophen with alcohol increases the risk of kidney damage and liver failure over time. Bottom line.

Tramadol. Tramadol is a powerful painkiller related to morphine that can be used to treat neuropathic pain that does not respond to other treatments a GP can prescribe. Like all opioids, tramadol can be addictive if it's taken for a long time. It'll usually only be prescribed for a short time.

Pain management strategies

pain medicines. physical therapies (such as heat or cold packs, massage, hydrotherapy and exercise) psychological therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and meditation) mind and body techniques (such as acupuncture)

1 to 3: Mild and minor pain that's noticeable and possibly distracting. 4 to 6: Moderate to moderately strong pain that's enough to disrupt your normal daily activities. 7 to 10: Debilitating, intense pain that prevents you from living a normal life.

What do you do when your doctor ignores your pain? ›

If you feel that your doctor or nurse-practitioner is consistently ignoring what you have to say, even if your symptoms continue to progress, find another primary care practice.

Prior to asking for an increase in pain medication, consider other possibilities for pain management, such as non-opioids medicine, medication changes, physical therapy, etc. However, if these treatments have been unhelpful in the past, explain why. This can show the provider that other options have been explored.

Speak directly with your doctor about why they've prescribed you certain medications and why they won't prescribe you others. Some additional reasons why your doctor might not prescribe pain medications include: Drug-seeking or disruptive behaviors from patients. Personal beliefs and values.

Living with chronic pain can really wear on a person emotionally and may even feel unbearable. It is easy to become frustrated, and for that frustration to develop into despair, hopelessness, and depression.

Unacceptable pain levels are determined by the patient, who is asked by the clinician to establish a comfort–function goal—the pain level at which he believes he'll be able to perform essential activities of recovery or living (see Pain Control, December 1999 and October 2001).