Why does the pain occur?
Pain is a common symptom of many injuries and diseases. It can also result from poorly performed surgeries or chiropractic manual adjustments.
Pain is a defense mechanism that informs the brain about a body part that is unwell and needs attention. The pain sensation travels from nerve endings or pain receptors present at the site of tissue injury to the spinal cord. Pain messages then get transmitted from the spinal cord to the brain's higher centers.
Three types of stimuli—mechanical (a pinch or pressure), heat, and chemical—activate the pain sensation at the injury site. Mechanical and heat stimuli last for a shorter time than chemical stimuli. Pain-producing chemicals, such as prostaglandins and histamines, are typically found in increased concentration at the site of inflammation or tissue injury.
Common types of pain
Acute pain develops suddenly and lasts a short period. It often occurs due to injuries such as bone fractures, muscle spasms, sprains, cuts, and burns. It can also result from appendicitis, strep throat, and shingles. Acute or sharp pain generally lasts only a few days, weeks, or months, depending on the cause.
Pain that recurs frequently or persists for six months or more is known as 'chronic pain.' Various diseases, like migraines, fibromyalgia, heart disease, cancers, nerve damage, etc, may cause this pain.
Who is a pain management specialist, and what conditions do they treat?
Pain management specialists are doctors of medicine (M.D.s) who administer medication and recommend rehabilitation, therapy, or exercise to treat pain. A pain management specialist may use one or a combination of the above approaches to relieve pain. While it is possible to reduce pain, complete relief from persistent chronic pain due to cancer, fibromyalgia, or arthritis can be challenging to achieve or may not be possible. Therefore, pain management specialists create plans tailored to an individual's needs.
Pain management physicians complete four years of undergraduate studies in sciences and four years of medical school, followed by a residency program. They then specialize in anesthesiology, physiatry, interventional radiology, psychiatry, and neurology. Some physicians follow this up with an additional year of training in a subspeciality of pain. To become board-certified, which is optional and not mandatory for practicing, pain medicine specialists must pass examinations conducted by the relevant members of the American Board of Medical Specialties, for example, the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Some common conditions that pain medicine specialists treat are:
- Arthritis pain
- Chest pain
- Chronic kidney disease pain
- Facial pain
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) pain
- Low back pain (LBP)
- Back and neck injuries
- Phantom limb pain (experienced by amputees)
What are the different kinds of pain management specialists?
The different specialties of pain management can include:
- Orthopedic specialists and surgeons: These are experts in the musculoskeletal system, which encompasses bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. They address injuries and diseases related to these structures, with some concentrating on specific areas like hips, knees, or shoulders. After diagnosing a condition, they design treatment plans that may incorporate medication, physical therapy, exercises, and, if necessary, surgical procedures.
- Rheumatologists: They are experts in treating rheumatic diseases like arthritis, gout, and tendinitis, which can lead to joint, muscle, and bone pain. Their treatments often involve medications or anti-inflammatory injections.
- Physiatrists or rehabilitation physicians: They specialize in injuries and conditions affecting mobility, addressing pain related to nerves, muscles, and bones. They also manage other issues, including carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, sports injuries, and post-surgery pain.
- Physical therapists and occupational therapists: They assist in recovery from injury or surgery, employing techniques like massage, stretching, heat, ice, and exercise to reduce pain and enhance mobility, often following recommendations from physiatrists.
- Acupuncturists: They are experts in treating a broad spectrum of pain-inducing conditions, such as headaches, back pain, and osteoarthritis, using thin needles inserted into specific body points to stimulate healing.
- Chiropractors: They use manual techniques to alleviate pain, especially in the back. They don't prescribe medication but provide hands-on relief for various conditions, including chronic headaches and injuries resulting from accidents.
What are some of the physical methods to manage pain?
The effective management of chronic pain includes an array of techniques aimed at reducing or controlling pain over an extended period. Specific physical methods, such as physical therapy, hot/cold therapy, massage, and acupuncture, can alleviate pain. Here's more about a few of them:
- Hot and cold therapy: This method is a safe and widely used technique to alleviate pain. Heat therapy helps relax the muscles and enhances blood flow, promoting faster healing after an injury. On the other hand, cold therapy inhibits blood flow to some degree, which in turn reduces inflammation and helps relieve pain. Typically, cold therapy involves applying an ice pack covered in a towel to the affected region.
- Massage: Massage therapy complements pain management techniques and relieves soft tissue manipulation. Massage has numerous benefits, including promoting relaxation, increasing flexibility, reducing inflammation, improving posture and circulation, and reducing stiffness.
- Physical therapy: It employs physical techniques to alleviate pain, improve mobility, and reinforce joints and muscles. Physical therapy includes exercise plans, soft tissue massages, and red light therapy. Unlike massage therapy, physical therapy is more comprehensive and involves a professional therapist's supervision. It can provide long-lasting benefits for chronic pain sufferers.
- Acupuncture: It is a traditional Chinese medical practice that entails inserting thin needles at distinct points on the skin. The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health undertook studies demonstrating its usefulness in addressing specific pain disorders. It can relieve short-term lower back, neck, knee, and osteoarthritis pain. Acupuncture is a form of therapy that can provide other health benefits, including inflammation, muscle relaxation, and spasm reduction. However, limited evidence suggests that it can provide long-term relief. Despite everything, it is generally considered safe when trained practitioners perform the therapy using sterile needles.
Find a pain management specialist near you in Las Vegas, Nevada
While your primary physician can provide pain treatment, pain from certain illnesses may require a particular type of treatment and can be pretty complex to manage on your own. Untreated pain can also increase the risk of other diseases and impact your psychological well-being. Pain, if treated improperly, can also increase the likelihood of being affected by depression and anxiety. For these reasons, it is advisable to consider a pain management specialist who can help you with an effective treatment plan.
Finding a pain management specialist in your area can be challenging, and you may need to visit a hospital or clinical facility to make an appointment.
However, Zocdoc provides users with a straightforward way to book a video consultation or an in-person visit with a pain management specialist from the comfort of their homes within a few minutes.
To book an appointment:
- Visit the Zocdoc website and enter your condition or symptoms, location, date to schedule the consultation, and insurance plan.
- Click on "find," and you can view a list of top-rated pain management specialists.
- Filter these search results by gender, time of appointment, hospital affiliations, preferred language, and whether or not a provider treats children.
To help you make an informed decision, Zocdoc provides access to each healthcare professional's medical background, including their clinical training, work experience, awards, certifications, licensures, and accreditations. You can further solidify your choice by reading honest and verified patient reviews. Moreover, if you wish to speak only to a provider that accepts your insurance, enter your carrier and plan in the drop-down menu at the top of the page and filter the displayed results with in-network providers.
If you can't find your medical insurance plan on Zocdoc, upload a photo of your insurance card. Zocdoc will automatically scan the image and display your most likely plan. This feature is not available for dental or vision insurance cards. If you face any issues while uploading the image, don't hesitate to contact Zocdoc's service team for assistance. Additionally, you can check out Zocdoc's patient help center for answers to any further insurance-related queries.
On Zocdoc, all bookings with the best pain management specialist near you become fast, free, and secure!
Statistics for diseases treated by pain management specialists in Nevada
According to data collated by the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2022, nearly 22.8% of all adults aged 18 and above living in Nevada have arthritis.
The overall prevalence of arthritis was higher in females (≈24.8%) than in males (≈20.6%). An estimated 53.5% of Nevada adults engage in limited physical activity due to arthritis. In 2019, the BRFSS also reported that nearly 31.2% of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis have severe joint pain. Roughly 3% of Nevadans have chronic kidney disease.
According to a report published by the Nevada State Health Division, an estimated 8,559 residents were hospitalized due to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from 2004 to 2007. It found that such cases were higher in females than in males.
If left to worsen, physical pain, intrinsically connected to the immune system, can lead to long-term adverse effects on overall health. Untreated pain can result in emotional, physical, and financial strain, but it doesn't have to. Don't delay it any longer; book your appointment today!
Sources
Medical News Today
Cleveland Clinic
Spine-Health
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Spine Universe
Healthline
National Library of Medicine[1]
National Library of Medicine[2]
Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health
Nevada State Health Division
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2]
WebMD
