Pain Management
It’s normal to feel some kind of pain from time to time. It’s the most common symptom of countless injuries and illness and usually the most recognizable indication of a problem inside our bodies. As the problem subsides, pain typically subsides as well. But what happens when pain becomes chronic or persists beyond the original illness or injury that caused it?
Community Memorial’s board-certified pain management physicians and orofacial pain specialists offer individualized care to patients experiencing acute pain following a surgery or procedure and unresolved pain caused by a chronic condition or injury.
Types of Pain
Pain has a variety of causes, and the best type of treatment usually depends on the source or type of pain.
- Acute Pain: Acute pain is usually the result of an accident or injury. It is sharp, but gets better when a healthcare provider treats the injury or illness that is causing it. Acute pain can be caused by accidents like a bone fracture or burn, or conditions like appendicitis or shingles.
- Chronic Pain: Pain is classified by physicians as chronic pain when it lasts six months or longer. This type of pain can be caused by an untreated or difficult injury or illness, but can also be caused by conditions like neuropathy, arthritis, or fibromyalgia.
- Nociceptive Pain: Nociceptive pain occurs when your nerve cells send signals to your brain that something is wrong with another part of your body. It is generally caused by an injury to your musculoskeletal system (somatic pain) or your organs (visceral pain).
- Neuropathic Pain: Neuropathic pain is caused by nerves that send pain signals to the brain by mistake. This type of pain is generally the result of conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) and diabetes but can also result from radiology and chemotherapy.
Conditions & Treatment
Anyone with pain is a candidate for a pain management program overseen by a physician. A personalized treatment plan can have a significant impact on a patient’s recovery from a major surgery or accident, or on the quality of life of someone living with a chronic condition and persistent pain. Community Memorial’s pain management specialists treat:
- Chronic back and neck pain
- Chronic cancer-related pain
- Arthritis/joint pain
- Bursitis
- Spinal cord injury
- Central pain syndrome
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Post herpetic neuralgia
- Phantom limb pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Myofascial pain
- Acute post-surgical pain
- Post-trauma pain
- Post-laminectomy syndrome (failed back surgery syndrome)
The first step in treating pain is an evaluation conducted by a pain management physician to determine the location, cause, and severity of your pain. There are a variety of ways to manage different types of pain, and your doctor may recommend one, or a combination of, the following treatments:
- Transforaminal epidural steroid injection
- Epidural blood patch
- Selective nerve root block
- Facet joint injection
- Medial branch nerve root block
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Cooled radiofrequency ablation (cRFA)
- Sacroiliac joint injection
- Knee, shoulder, or hip joint injection
- Bursa injection
- Lumbar sympathetic block
- Stellate ganglion block
- Superior hypogastric plexus block
- Ganglion impar block
- TAP block
- Brachial plexus block
- Saphenous/femoral nerve block
- Sciatic nerve block
- Occipital nerve block
- Piriformis injection
- Trigger point injection
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) trial/implant
- Ketamine infusion
- Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or caudal epidural steroid injection
If you have pain that is worsening, preventing you from enjoying your regular activities, or causing anxiety or depression, it may be time to consult a pain management physician. Community Memorial’s Pain Management specialists are available at various Community Memorial Health Centers in west Ventura County and appointments can be made with or without a referral.
