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Category Archives: Pain Management

Poor Posture and Pain

Posted on September 27, 2024 - 12:00 pm by

Poor posture often results from occupational activities that involve spending substantial amounts of time in an awkward position, or doing a repetitive motion without taking breaks. These activities tend to cause musculoskeletal complications, such as skeletal alignment problems and uneven muscle development, which in time lead to poor posture. 

Poor posture is a typical cause for neck, shoulder and back pain. Muscles in these body regions tend to tense up and compress the surrounding nerves, especially in occupations that involve a lot of standing, sitting, or using of a computer. Poor posture and the resulting pain are typically treated with a combination of workplace ergonomics, lifestyle changes and medications.

Improving ergonomics is one of the key methods to reduce and prevent posture problems in the workplace. Ergonomics aims to reduce stress and pain caused by bad posture, repeated motions, and overuse of muscles. Improving ergonomics can include anything from using a back support or a proper office chair, to taking frequent breaks and learning to keep your body in proper alignment when working. Taking frequent breaks and stretching your muscles is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to prevent poor posture and the pain associated with it. Allowing your muscles to relax and stretch regularly can reduce muscle tension and imbalance.

Certain lifestyle changes can also help reduce or revise posture problems. Regular exercise can strengthen your muscles and prevent the poor alignment that results from imbalanced and overused muscles. Stretching helps return your muscles to their proper length, reduce muscle tension, and prevent nerve compression.

Anti-inflammatory pain medications are another option for managing the pain caused by poor posture. However, pain medications don’t treat the underlying condition that causes poor posture. Thus, medications should only be used as a temporary solution to reduce pain.

If you suffer from chronic pain and posture problems, it is essential you seek professional help before the problem becomes too debilitating. The earlier you intervene and correct the factors that cause poor posture, the better chance you have for a full recovery.

*DISCLAIMER: These are not medical diagnoses or suggestions for any specific individuals.  They are an overview of various conditions, treatments and topics discussed by New York Pain Management Group.  If you would like to discuss your symptoms in greater detail, do not hesitate to contact the New York Pain Management Group. To learn more about treatment options for this and other pain conditions, contact us today at www.nopainny.com or call at 1-888-789-NOPAIN! We will be happy to assist you.

Primary Care Physicians vs. Pain Management (pain clinic)

Posted on September 25, 2024 - 10:00 am by

Primary care physicians and pain specialists address pain management in different ways. Some physicians treat pain as if it is a symptom of an underlying condition and assume that if the condition is diagnosed and treated that the pain will go away. However, this form of pain treatment does not work for each individual and some people will continue to suffer from chronic pain. According to Institute of Medicine, approximately 100 million adults in America suffer from chronic pain, which is higher than the number of people affected by cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined.

Doctors who specialize in treating pain include neurologists, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, and even psychiatrists. Anesthesiologists, in particular, usually work along with other health care professionals (e.g., nurse practitioners, physical therapists, orthopedists) when a team of specialists may be necessary to manage pain over time. One general difference between these types of specialists and primary care physicians is that pain specialists are knowledgeable in inflammation, pain, and specific treatments. More specifically, they are highly trained in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of chronic pain. This means that in certain cases a pain specialist may be best able to determine the cause of an individual’s pain.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that steps should be taken to improve pain treatment by managing pain care according to each individual’s personal experiences and educating individuals about self-management. The institute also suggests that primary care physicians should collaborate with pain specialists if the initial treatment plan appears to be ineffective. Some hospitals have also started to incorporate the help of anesthesiologists by asking them to develop standardized procedures. The primary focus, however, is understanding that individuals experience and handle pain differently and that standardized protocols should be based on an individual approach. Suggestions such as these imply that individuals should quickly consider seeking pain management from a trained specialist when experiencing chronic pain. This may help reduce the need for taking unnecessary medication or undergoing treatment that is ineffective. Receiving proper pain treatment in a timely manner can also decrease recovery time.

*DISCLAIMER: These are not medical diagnosis or suggestions for any specific individuals.  They are an overview of various conditions, treatments and topics discussed by New York Pain Management Group.  If you would like to discuss your symptoms in greater detail, do not hesitate to contact the New York Pain Management Group. To learn more about treatment options for this and other pain conditions, contact us today at www.nopainny.com or call at 1-888-789-NOPAIN! We will be happy to assist you.

Narcotics for pain management 

Posted on September 13, 2024 - 10:22 am by

Narcotics are generally administered to those patients who are suffering from severe chronic pain. The aim of this type of treatment is to provide temporary relief from the intense pain associated with the medical condition. Narcotics typically consist of pharmaceutical compounds known as opiates (pain relievers) and are either synthetic or semi-synthetic in nature.  The potency of the narcotic as well as its effectiveness generally depends on the type of ingredients that are combined to produce the drug.  

Narcotics are available in the following forms: pills, liquid form, or intravenous (IV) solutions, which are directly injected into the vein. Some common medical conditions that are treated by the administration of narcotics include: cancer pain, arthritis, and post-injury pain. These narcotics can have a long or short-term effect on the patient’s sensation of pain.  

A few examples of low potency narcotics are tramadol, codeine, and propoxyphene. Hydrocodone and oxycodone are frequently prescribed and are a more potent form of narcotic.  Oxymorphone, morphine, and fentanyl are the most potent forms and are used to relieve the most severe cases of chronic pain. There are also new narcotics that are currently being tested for pain management in clinical trials. 

Narcotics work by anesthetizing the parts of the central nervous system where the pain originates. However, long-term use of narcotics can potentially lead to drug addiction and/or drug tolerance. Drug tolerance simply means having to take a higher dosage of a drug in order to experience the same effect that a lower dosage had when the narcotic treatment began. 

Although there are adverse effects associated with the use of narcotics, when it is used with caution it can be an effective tool in pain management. Furthermore, the proper use of narcotics is crucial for sufferers to resume the quality of life that they had prior to the onset of debilitating pain. 

*DISCLAIMER: These are not medical diagnosis or suggestions for any specific individuals.  They are an overview of various conditions, treatments and topics discussed by New York Pain Management Group.  If you would like to discuss your symptoms in greater detail, do not hesitate to contact the New York Pain Management Group. To learn more about treatment options for this and other pain conditions, contact us today at www.nopainny.com or call at 1-888-789-NOPAIN! We will be happy to assist you. 

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