Blake Tobin

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Pain Management in Healthcare

Who is on your team?

There are several providers that can be seen to help manage pain. One of the most common providers often seen first is the primary care provider (family doctor).

The Providers that you may want or currently have on your team to manage pain:

  1. Physician
  2. Nurse Specialist
  3. Vocational counselor
  4. Pharmacist
  5. Occupational therapist
  6. Anesthesiologist
  7. Chiropractor
  8. Neurologist
  9. Physical therapist
  10. Psychologist

A patient experiencing pain may see multiple providers because they need to, or they may see multiple providers because they don’t feel the problem is resolved. These providers could be providing a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary treatment plan. Most individuals have a multidisciplinary treatment plan this typical. A multidisciplinary treatment plan means they contribute to care individually, while an interdisciplinary treatment plan allows providers to work as a team on goals and treatment. Interdisciplinary providers are usually housed under the same practice creating more communication, efficacy, and less overlap of treatment. The multidisciplinary approach requires the patient to travel to multiple locations to see the provider. The goals for the plan of care are not influenced by another plan of care.

5 Steps on what to expect during your first visit?

Steps 1 Before your visit: Generally, most providers will have the patient fill out paperwork before the first visit. The paperwork will ask for personal information( insurance, DOB, address, etc.) and a possible symptom questionnaire.

Step 2 First visit conversation: The provider will evaluate and ask for a careful history to develop a working hypothesis based on your previous symptoms and medical history and current symptoms.

Step 3 During the examination: There may also be some type of Physical examination which may include evaluations Neurological system, Musculoskeletal system, Integumentary system, Psychological assessment., Lab values, and Radiological examination as needed. The evaluation may be tailored to the specialty depending on the provider.

Step 4 Eligibility: The provider determines if you are a candidate for treatment and develops a care plan that they should review with the patient. This plan of care includes the diagnosis and treatment plan. The patient will also be evaluated if it will be essential for their well-being to refer out to another provider or include another provider. In addition, it is the provider’s responsibility to educate the patient on any precautions or concerns.

Step 5 Follow-up: Allow yourself the opportunity to succeed. After the first session, many patients do feel better; however, it is important to continue to finish all treatments. Even if the patient is skeptical or has concerns about the effectiveness of treatment, it’s important to communicate that to the provider and ask questions.

Types of Treatment

Medication
Exercise
Psychological cognitive

What to expect with medication?

Education video to help you understand what you are prescribed and why.

Traditionally classified as “weak” or “strong,” a high dose of weak can be equivalent to strong. The general rule of thumb uses the weakest medication before the strong. Medication is used to treat the symptom of pain but not the underlying condition or cause. The body will often heal itself, and pain can resolve with no further treatment. This explains why some people recover after taking medication and associate the medication with fixing the problem. However, if the underlying condition is more substantial or the brain continues to perceive a threat, the pain will continue once the medication is ceased. This is importance of other treatments like physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and or multi-professional team rehabilitation.

Therapeutic Exercise:

This video will explain the benefits of exercise in chronic pain patients.

Therapeutic exercise activities for chronic pain

  1. Aerobic activity
  2. Stretching
  3. Strengthen
  4. Coordination training
  5. Biofeedback
  6. Thermotherapy: Heat/ ICE

How is psychology used to help those in chronic pain?

I hope these videos help educate on the understanding of pain and the brain’s influence over this experience. Pain is a very real sensation that the brain is in charge of interpreting. A person’s mental health, perception, and thoughts of their pain play a vital role in the intensity, duration, and frequency.

Psychological treatment does not focus on pain-free but rather a different perspective of mindfulness and empowerment on patient independence and management of their own pain. As well as provide coping tools to work through episodes of pain. Some of the physiological services used to treat are types of relaxation techniques.

  • Relaxation technique
    1. Guided imagery
    2. Group support
    3. Mediation
    4. Hypnosis

Want to learn more?

References