Pain management Peabody clinics specialize in helping patients who are living with chronically painful conditions to acquire a better quality of life. Also called algiatry, it incorporates an interdisciplinary team of physicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and clinical psychologists.
In many instances, pain serves a useful purpose. It tells us that we are injured, and that we need to rest and allow the site of the trauma or injury to recover. However, sometimes the painful symptoms persist long after the original stimulus has been removed and the painful symptoms have resolved. This is when it helps to have a multidisciplinary team to work with the patient to improve function and restore mobility.
Many specialist algiatrists were trained anesthesiologists before they decided to specialize. This means that they are sufficiently qualified to perform epidurals, steroid injections, injections into facet joints of the spine and to implant analgesic devices in the spinal column. A lot of the drugs that they prescribe are off license, or for compassionate use. This means that the medication is not specifically licensed for that application, but that it has been found to be useful in this area. Eventual, clinical trials may be carried out to make them licensed for analgesic use.
Two types of implantable analgesic devices used in this setting are spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal drug-delivery pumps. Spinal cord stimulators are used in refractory angina. Intrathecal drug-delivery systems are useful in patients with certain forms of terminal cancer. These devices enable patients who are in the process of dying to enjoy a pain-free quality of life for as long as possible.
Antidepressants like amitriptyline and anticonvulsants such as gabapentin have been discovered to have analgesic properties at lower doses than are prescribed for their licensed uses. These are two of the drugs that may be prescribed for compassionate use. They are start at low doses and then gradually increased until the patient receives a clinical benefit or they experience side effects.
Sometimes physical interventions are not sufficient to bring relief. This is where the psychology team comes in. They train the patient in biofeedback or cognitive behavioral therapy, two patient-centered techniques that have a good track record in this population. pain management Peabody
In many instances, pain serves a useful purpose. It tells us that we are injured, and that we need to rest and allow the site of the trauma or injury to recover. However, sometimes the painful symptoms persist long after the original stimulus has been removed and the painful symptoms have resolved. This is when it helps to have a multidisciplinary team to work with the patient to improve function and restore mobility.
Many specialist algiatrists were trained anesthesiologists before they decided to specialize. This means that they are sufficiently qualified to perform epidurals, steroid injections, injections into facet joints of the spine and to implant analgesic devices in the spinal column. A lot of the drugs that they prescribe are off license, or for compassionate use. This means that the medication is not specifically licensed for that application, but that it has been found to be useful in this area. Eventual, clinical trials may be carried out to make them licensed for analgesic use.
Two types of implantable analgesic devices used in this setting are spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal drug-delivery pumps. Spinal cord stimulators are used in refractory angina. Intrathecal drug-delivery systems are useful in patients with certain forms of terminal cancer. These devices enable patients who are in the process of dying to enjoy a pain-free quality of life for as long as possible.
Antidepressants like amitriptyline and anticonvulsants such as gabapentin have been discovered to have analgesic properties at lower doses than are prescribed for their licensed uses. These are two of the drugs that may be prescribed for compassionate use. They are start at low doses and then gradually increased until the patient receives a clinical benefit or they experience side effects.
Sometimes physical interventions are not sufficient to bring relief. This is where the psychology team comes in. They train the patient in biofeedback or cognitive behavioral therapy, two patient-centered techniques that have a good track record in this population. pain management Peabody
