
5 Nonsurgical Treatments for Chronic Pain

The long-lasting effects of chronic pain present treatment complications for both patients and physicians. Sometimes, chronic pain persists even after tissue damage heals due to changes in the way nerves report pain to the brain.
Other challenges include long-term effects of using medications to manage pain, since your body can adapt to drugs, requiring larger doses or stronger formulations, most of which also present their own harmful side effects.
Dr. James Nassiri and the team at Westside Pain Specialists often take a multi-modal approach to chronic pain management, reducing the reliance on drug-based therapy. Much depends on your unique conditions and responses to treatment.
Today, let’s look at five nonsurgical treatments for chronic pain, as well as how they work in combination with each other to provide effective pain management programs.
The nature of pain
Pain is your body’s way of telling you something may be wrong. However, it’s not always a perfect reporting system. Your pain might not be proportional to the condition causing it.
For example, sciatic nerve pain can completely debilitate you and send pain symptoms down your leg, even though there’s nothing physically wrong along the nerve path. At other times, you may experience only mild and tolerable pain accompanying bone fractures.
When pain becomes chronic, your nerves themselves may change over time, continuing to generate pain when there’s no longer a physical cause.
The weaknesses of drug therapy
Pain medications can do a remarkable job of relieving pain of all types and intensities. However, there’s no ideal medication. Every type has some sort of negative effect on your body.
Many common pain medications place an increased load on organs like the kidneys, even over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Opiate prescription medications are powerful pain relievers, but some patients risk addiction and drug dependence.
Drug therapy is strongest when used as a short-term solution for acute injury or as part of surgical recovery. It’s not the best way to approach chronic pain management.
5 nonsurgical treatments of chronic pain
Depending on the underlying source of your pain, treating that condition may help to reduce chronic symptoms. When chronic pain becomes the primary target of treatment, we may recommend therapies like:
Physical therapy
Though arthritis pain may make the idea of exercise and movement seem daunting, moderate amounts of low-impact activity actually promote natural pain relief by relieving inflammation and promoting blood circulation.
Building the muscles that support painful joints transfers the load away from the pain-causing elements of the joint, too, making other aspects of your pain management plan more effective.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Since nerves carry tiny electrical signals generated by your body, using a device to deliver other tiny electrical signals modulates and blocks pain messages on the way to the brain.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
Using a small sample of your own blood, we isolate platelets, the blood component best known for its clotting abilities. Platelets also carry chemical messengers that guide the natural healing process, reducing inflammation and pain.
Alternate pain medications
Expanding pain management beyond drug-based treatment helps to reduce the focus of your care away from medications, but they still have a place, usually with lower doses. Dr. Nassiri may also prescribe antidepressants and/or anti-seizure medications, each of which can also reduce pain symptoms.
Topical treatments
Just as electrical signals can alter nerve pain messages, capsaicin ointments can also modulate the way you perceive pain. Topical analgesics deliver pain medication through the skin, reducing the metabolic load that oral drugs create.
Contact us at Westside Pain Specialists to discuss these and other alternatives for treating chronic pain. Call our office in Beverly Hills or Rancho Cucamonga, California, directly to schedule your visit today.
You Might Also Enjoy...


3 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Relieve Sciatica

What's So Special About Blood Platelets?

Will Chronic Neck Pain Resolve on Its Own?

Is It Safe to Lift Weights With Back Pain?
