We all experience pain from time to time. Nearly all of us will even experience chronic pain at least once or twice. Patients and their general practitioners can usually work together to manage it just fine. So how do you know when this is not enough? How do you know it's time to visit a pain clinic?
Pain is a subjective thing. We cannot say you should visit a pain clinic if you've been experiencing pain for a certain amount of time. Yet despite not being able to provide a black-and-white answer, we can give you a few things to consider. Below are three signs it might be time to visit a pain clinic.
As you read, remember that KindlyMD is the largest QMP specialty group in Utah. Not only can our pain management physicians help you manage your pain, but we can also help you get a Medical Card if you qualify.
We genuinely appreciate the splendid work GPs do. GPs are internists, and internal medicine is one of the toughest specialties of all. GPs must be prepared to deal with just about anything. The downside is that they do not always have the resources and knowledge to effectively treat chronic pain. Therein lies the first sign that it might be time to visit a pain clinic.
Perhaps your GP has run out of options. The two of you have worked together on every pain relief strategy your doctor could think of. But despite all you've done, you haven't found sufficient relief. Your GP doesn't know what else to do for you. The good news is that a pain management physician probably does.
Another way to know that it might be time to visit a pain clinic is that your only options to date have been prescription medications. Unfortunately, traditional Western medicine relies far too heavily on a pharmacological approach to pain management. It is not always a bad approach, but it shouldn't be the only option. Some people just don't respond well to prescription medications.
If you have only been offered the pharmacological approach in the past, we want you to know that there are other options. One of them is plant-based medicine, which we promote here at KindlyMD. We understand that prescription medications are sometimes the best choice, and perhaps the only choice, for treating certain conditions. For example, some people with diabetes need daily injections of insulin to survive. Plant-based medicine, as diverse and effective as it is, cannot replace insulin.
But we also know that plant-based medicines can be remarkably effective for chronic pain patients. We believe pain clinics should give patients the choice.
The third sign it might be time to visit a pain clinic: you are concerned about the prescription medications you are currently taking. If this is the case, know that you are not alone. The more we learn about prescription painkillers, the more consumers are nervous about them.
It has been our experience that some chronic pain patients eventually reach a point of being willing to try anything. At least in some cases, they experience genuine anxiety about taking prescription medications for long periods of time. They are looking for plant-based alternatives as a possible way to cut back on prescription meds. We support that whenever appropriate.
Hopefully, the information we have provided in this post gives you a framework for deciding whether you should visit a pain clinic. Always remember that pain clinics are staffed by medical professionals whose specialty is pain. They are the most qualified to help you.
