Treatment Information

Tips to Relieve Upper Back Pain

Back Pain, Treatment Information -
  • relieve pain in upper back

At Carolinas Pain Center, we provide individualized, multidisciplinary care for patients dealing with all types of pain. If you’re experiencing upper back pain, you’re not alone. It’s a common ailment that affects millions of people every year.

But don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to alleviate your pain and start feeling better.

In this guide, we’ll provide you with five tips on how to ease upper back pain. These tips are safe and effective and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

So if you’re ready to say goodbye to upper back pain, keep reading for expert advice on how to relieve it quickly and safely.

Causes of Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain is commonly caused by:.

  • Poor posture is one of the most common causes of upper back pain, as slouching or hunching over a computer can strain the muscles and joints in your upper back. Muscle strain can also occur from overuse or sudden movements, such as lifting a heavy object. 
  • Injuries like sprains or fractures can also lead to upper back pain. And in some cases, conditions such as arthritis or scoliosis can contribute to developing upper back pain.

Understanding the underlying cause of your pain is key to finding the right treatment plan, so it’s important to seek medical attention if your pain persists or worsens.  

Tips to Relieve Upper Back Pain

If you’re experiencing upper back pain, there are several things you can do to alleviate your symptoms. Here are five tips to help relieve your upper back pain:

Stretching Exercises

Gentle stretching can help loosen the muscles in your upper back, relieving pain and tension. Try simple exercises like shoulder rolls, neck stretches, and upper back stretches to alleviate discomfort.

Heat Therapy

Applying heat to the affected area can help relax tense muscles and increase blood flow, reducing pain and inflammation. You can use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm shower or bath to relieve you.

Correcting Your Posture

Poor posture can contribute to upper back pain, so it’s important to correct it. Be mindful of your posture throughout the day, sit up straight, and avoid slouching or hunching over your computer. Take plenty of breaks and stand up and stretch when necessary.

Pain Medication

Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. However, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before taking any medication to ensure it’s safe for you.

When to Seek Professional Help

While the tips outlined above can be effective in relieving upper back pain, there are times when seeking professional help may be necessary. Here are some signs that indicate it may be time to seek medical attention:

Severe Pain

If your upper back pain is severe and persistent, seeking medical attention is important. This could be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.

Numbness or Weakness

If your upper back pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, it could be a sign of a nerve-related issue that requires medical attention.

Inability to Move

If you can’t move your upper back or have difficulty performing everyday tasks due to pain, it’s time to seek professional help.

At Carolinas Pain Center, our team of medical specialists can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan to help alleviate your upper back pain. Whether it’s through physical therapy, medication, or other treatment options, we’ll work with you to help you feel better and improve your quality of life.

Remember, chronic pain can become debilitating if left untreated, so taking care of yourself and seeking the help you need to alleviate it is important. Don’t hesitate to contact Carolinas Pain Center if you need assistance managing your pain.

Managing Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain can be a challenging and uncomfortable condition to deal with, but with the right care and treatment, relief is possible. Following the tips we outlined in this guide can help you alleviate your upper back pain and improve your quality of life.

However, if your upper back pain persists or worsens, seeking professional help is vital. At Carolinas Pain Center, our medical specialists are dedicated to helping patients like you manage their pain and live life to the fullest.

So if you’re ready to say goodbye to upper back pain, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We offer personalized, multidisciplinary care to help alleviate your pain and improve your overall well-being. Schedule an appointment with us today and take the first step towards a pain-free life!

References 

 

  • Hong, J. Y., Song, K. S., Cho, J. H., & Lee, J. H. (2017). An Updated Overview of Low Back Pain Management in Primary Care. Asian spine journal, 11(4), 653–660. https://doi.org/10.4184/asj.2017.11.4.653 
  • Alvarez, J. A., & Hardy, R. H., Jr (1998). Lumbar spine stenosis: a common cause of back and leg pain. American family physician, 57(8), 1825–1840. 
Pain Blog

Exercise for Pain Management: The Benefits of a Warm-Up

Pain, Treatment Information -

There are many benefits of warming up before a workout. Did you know that you can use warm-ups and exercise for pain management? 

Medical experts and even lay people have known for a long time that exercise can help you feel better, have more energy, and live longer. Exercise also controls weight, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, promotes quality sleep, increases confidence, and much more. And because regular physical activity has been shown to effectively reduce pain, particularly chronic pain in adults, it is a common pain treatment.

There are many different exercises that aid in managing pain. These include cardiovascular or aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling, jogging, running, and swimming. Using strength/resistance exercises involving elastic bands, free weights, and body-weight resistance can relieve pain, too, as can stretching and warm-up exercises. 

Warming up is really important, as a matter of fact. There are many benefits of warm-up, regardless of the type of exercise you plan to do.

How Do Warm Ups Benefit and Help with Pain Management?

Exercising can relieve and prevent pain in a number of ways. Cardiovascular exercise, for example, is an excellent way to burn fat and lose weight, provided you maintain a healthy diet and consume fewer calories than you burn. The weight loss that results from the cardio can significantly reduce pressure on joints — especially lower body joints — relieving swelling, irritation, and pain, lowering the risk of injury, and slowing down degeneration. In one study, researchers found that losing just 10 pounds of fat could decrease knee osteoarthritis progression by 50 percent.

Resistance exercise can improve pain and chronic pain symptoms by adding muscles that support bone and cartilage. More muscle often translates to better pain management due to less bone-on-bone contact and inflammation. There may also be less stiffness, and added strength and endurance make physical injuries from falls and accidents (common in older adults) a lot less likely.

Usually, strength training and cardio exercise alone will not eliminate chronic pain from joint diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. However, exercise can serve as an effective complementary treatment.

What are the Benefits of Warm Up Exercises?

Warming up before aerobic and resistance exercises is beneficial because it prepares you for the strenuous activities ahead — not only physically but also psychologically. Rather than shocking the body, it gets your muscles ready at a gradual pace for exercises you are going to perform, increasing blood flow and oxygen to muscle cells. This makes it possible for you to perform at a higher level and minimize injuries while reaping the other benefits of warm-up.

Exercises for warming up raise body temperature, elevate heart rate, and loosen up muscles. With a higher body temperature, electrical signals are able to travel more rapidly along nerve fibers, increasing muscular contraction speed and force and making muscle tissue more pliable. Organs and systems in your body can adapt safely to a gradual increase in heart rate, whereas the opposite is true if you start exercising without warming up appropriately.

Does warming up prevent injury? It sure helps. Does warming up improve performance? For most individuals, yes, it does. Moreover, warm-up exercises improve neural function and coordination, and joints are protected as articular cartilage thickens with the natural accumulation of synovial fluid, a thick liquid located between the joints.

The benefits of warm-up exercises include:

  • Improved movement and flexibility and pain management from less muscle tension
  • Lower risk of physical injuries with muscles relaxed
  • Better range of motion, enabling more complete movement of the joints
  • Higher energy levels from hormone production
  • Enhanced exercise performance due to increased flow of blood and oxygen

What Are Examples of Warm Up Exercises?

Just as there are a lot of beneficial exercises that can improve your overall health and reduce pain, there are many warm-up routines that can help you get better results from physical training. In fact, a warm-up, ideally, will simply be a lighter version of the exercise you plan to do, where you perform it but at a slower pace and lower intensity. According to Harvard Health, warm-ups should last between 5 and 10 minutes, working all major muscle groups.

For a warm-up to successfully warm you up, it is necessary to engage the entire body, incorporating compound and low-impact movements. The best way to go about warming up for a cardio or strength training exercise that can assist with pain management is to begin slowly and then steadily increase intensity. Exert to the point of perspiration but not exhaustion. After all, you want to be able to get to and complete your planned exercise workout safely.

Walking, jogging, side lunges, planks, jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups are all examples of exercises that can deliver the benefits of warm-up sessions. Pre-workout and post-workout stretching is great as well, particularly when combined with exercise. The physical activity, though, should be suited to your age, health, and fitness level.

What Happens If You Don’t Warm Up Before Exercising?

Individuals who don’t warm up before exercise forgo a plethora of potential health benefits, with one being pain relief. For people living with chronic pain, relief can be life-changing. You increase your risk of musculoskeletal injuries that could cause or exacerbate pain when you skip warm-up exercise. In addition, you place yourself at risk for cardiovascular problems, as exercising strenuously without preparing your body strains the heart and the lungs.

Benefits of Warming Up for Pain Management

There are plenty of health benefits associated with adding warm-up exercises and stretches to an exercise routine. One just needs to go about it the right way. A medical professional can help you determine which exercises and warm-ups are most beneficial for you. If you happen to be a chronic pain sufferer, a pain specialist doctor can work with you to formulate a healthcare management plan for pain that will improve your quality of life.

At Carolinas Pain Center, we have a team of highly trained pain specialists who are well-versed in pain management and pain treatment. Over the years, we have treated thousands of patients with diverse and complex pain conditions.

Struggling with chronic pain? We can help. Set an appointment here and a friendly coordinator will contact you.

Healthy Habits To Manage Joint Pain

Pain, Treatment Information -

Joint pain is relatively common. Joints provide a cushion between your bones and allow you to move, bend, and perform other necessary motions. You can get stiffness or pain from an injury, an illness, or overuse. Chronic joint pain (discomfort that continues for more than three months) can come from arthritis or other stiffness-causing conditions.

Pain can affect any joint in your body, but it is most common in specific areas.

  • Shoulder pain can come from arthritis, inflammation, or an injury, such as a dislocated shoulder.
  • Knee pain can be due to an injury or overuse, though some chronic conditions, such as tendonitis, bursitis, and gout, can also create discomfort.
  • Neck pain can be caused by degenerative conditions, herniated spinal discs, or osteoporosis. Arthritis in the neck can be particularly painful and debilitating.
  • Hand and wrist pain is typically a result of arthritis, though nerve disorders can also cause issues.

Regardless of the location of your acute or chronic discomfort, you can adopt healthy habits to manage joint pain. These lifestyle changes can also help protect you from developing certain chronic joint conditions and strengthen your tendons to help you avoid injury and relieve pain.

Diet changes

Food, beverages, and supplements can affect your health in general and your ability to manage joint pain in particular. For example, a diet rich in whole foods can limit inflammation and help you lose weight, which will reduce pressure on your joints.

  • Eat more fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation caused by arthritis or acute joint injuries. Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are particularly good choices for this beneficial type of fat.
  • Add more servings of colorful vegetables and leafy greens. These two types of food are rich in antioxidants, which can speed healing after an injury or illness.
  • Replace sugary foods with fruits and berries. Colorful berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, have a particularly dense concentration of antioxidants. Meanwhile, citrus fruits, like oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits, have a lot of vitamin C, which is necessary for maintaining healthy joints and fighting infections and viruses that can cause temporary stiffness, weakness, and joint pain.
  • Drink more water. Water is necessary for proper immune function and digestion. It can also help ensure that your joints are properly lubricated. At the same time, you should limit sugary beverages, which can cause weight gain and lead to inflammation that can exacerbate arthritis.

 

Other foods, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, can also help reduce inflammation and provide low-fat energy that can aid weight loss. By reducing the weight on your joints, these diet changes can help you relieve joint pain.

Fitness and lifestyle changes

Exercise and stretching can help improve joint function and reduce pain, but you also need to follow a proper recovery schedule after working out. Here are some tips.

  • Consider yoga. Gentle yoga poses can improve flexibility. They can also improve strength, balance, and posture, which can relieve pressure on your joints, reducing inflammation.
  • Move regularly. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to stiffer joints and more pain. Any movement can be helpful. Walking or riding a bicycle every day can be beneficial, as can working in a garden or yard, cleaning around the house, or even dancing.
  • Get enough sleep. Your body needs regular sleep to recharge, and proper sleep patterns can reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that arthritis sufferers who do not sleep well experience more pain than those who get a good night’s rest.
  • Save time for recovery. Movement is important, but you should know your limits. Gradually increasing your level of exercise is more beneficial for long-term stiffness relief and pain reduction than hard workouts that leave you sore for the next week. If you begin slowly, you will be able to continue the daily movement, which will reduce stiffness and help flexibility.

 

Get help for your joint pain

Carolinas Pain Center can diagnose and offer support to help you manage conditions like arthritis and recover from acute joint pain. Through examinations and diagnostic tests using ultrasounds and fluoroscopy imaging, our physicians can find the source of your pain and offer a treatment plan. We can also recommend healthy habits for joint pain to help you recover quickly or limit chronic discomfort.

You don’t have to continue suffering from joint pain. Contact Carolinas Pain Center today to schedule an appointment.

Bracing and Splinting for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain, Treatment Information -
  • chronic pain management

When you have chronic pain, you want to alleviate the ache as much as you possibly can. Tendinitis, arthritis, or repetitive stress injuries can cause pain, and splinting or bracing can help improve your function, decrease pain levels, and reduce irritation. But, which one is the best support system for your needs? Braces and splints offer different levels of control and support, depending on how long and how you choose to wear them. We’ll outline both below. 

Braces vs. Splints for Chronic Pain Management

One of the first things you have to do is decide if you need a brace or a splint. These are both assistive medical devices that can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain, but they work in slightly different ways. While both braces and splints can help with chronic pain, one may work better over the other for your situation. 

Braces

A brace is a device that you wear to stop any further agitation in your joint by immobilizing whichever part of your body you wear it on. Braces usually feature a rigid stay or have rigid fabric that helps to treat minor injuries or pain flare-ups. You can use a brace to treat minor sprains or carpal tunnel syndrome. You can choose from different braces, including: 

  • Ankle and foot braces
  • Back support
  • Elbow braces
  • Hand and wrist braces
  • Knee braces
  • Shoulder braces

Splints

A splint is something you’ll use to treat more serious conditions or injuries as it acts like an immobilizer. Very similar to a brace, splints have a stiff fabric design to them. However, splints also come with a rigid piece of plastic or metal built in to strengthen them more. Since this gives splints more stability, you’d use them to treat fractures, major sprains or flare-ups, and carpal tunnel syndrome. There are a few types of splints, including: 

  • Ankle stirrup
  • Finger splint
  • Nasal splint
  • Posterior elbow
  • Posterior full leg
  • Posterior lower leg
  • Sugar tong
  • Thumb spica
  • Ulnar gutter
  • Volar wrist splint
  • Wrist or arm splint

How to Use Braces and Splits for Chronic Pain Management

Now that you know the most popular splints and braces available, we’re going to touch on several ways you can use them for your chronic pain management. 

Low Back Pain

You can use soft or rigid braces to help with your low back pain. Soft braces will increase your abdominal core’s pneumatic mechanism, and this gives your back internal rigidity to support your spine. A rigid brace provides external support for your spine and back muscles. They’re useful for helping manage spine conditions that cause low back pain, and you can use them to stabilize the area. 

Muscle Sprains or Strains 

Ankle, knee, elbow, and foot braces are common assistive devices with tendon or ligament sprains or strains. They can provide just enough support to allow you to use it on a limited basis. Additionally, having a brace on your strained or sprained area can help prevent you from overusing it and causing irritation. 

Neck Pain

There are rigid and soft collars that can help treat neck pain. The soft brace works best for whiplash-type injuries, and you usually wear them for two to four weeks. Rigid braces offer dynamic tension that will eventually change your neck on a mechanical level to get you to a thoracic spine orientation. It’s common to wear a neck brace after neck surgery to help keep the cervical spine stable. 

The Carolinas Pain Center Can Help With Chronic Pain Management 

If you have chronic pain, it’s essential that you have a dedicated team on your side to help treat and manage your day-to-day symptoms. We can also help decide if a brace or splint would be more appropriate for your needs. Book an appointment with our team today. 

Lifestyle Changes to Relieve Your Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain, Treatment Information -
  • chronic pain management

If you suffer from chronic pain, there’s no single method to relieve it. Instead, it’s best to combine multiple tactics as part of a comprehensive chronic pain management plan. Here are eight lifestyle changes you can embrace to relieve pain. Try using them in combination for pain relief. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll also help fight lower life expectancy that is associated with chronic pain.

Improve Your Diet

Eating more cleanly will help your overall health and reduce inflammation in the body that causes or exacerbates pain. What is clean eating? It’s simply consuming food in its most natural state, closest to its origins. For example, instead of eating foods made with refined flour (bread, pasta, cereal, etc.), eat whole grain products. Rather than drinking juice, have an orange or an apple.

One tip you can use when grocery shopping for clean eating is to try to buy most of your products from around the perimeter of the store, where you’ll find perishable foods like eggs, fish, and fresh produce. The less you eat from a bag, box, or can, the better. Try making things like soup or spaghetti sauce from scratch.

Get rid of sugar as much as possible. Sugar is one of the most inflammatory things you can eat. Not only will your joints and muscles appreciate the change, but your skin, digestion, and cardiovascular system will also function better. Avoid artificial sweeteners in lieu of stevia. In recipes, try using naturally sweet elements, like fruits.

The great thing about clean eating is it’s adaptable to whatever kind of diet you eat. You can be a vegan, a pescatarian, or an omnivore and still eat clean. When you start eating clean, you can also typically increase the volume of food you’re eating because you’re eating things like leafy greens and lean proteins. It might surprise you to know that low-calorie diets can contribute to low back pain. When you don’t get enough nutrients, it doesn’t matter if you’re only consuming a small number of calories. Your body doesn’t get the fuel it needs, and pain can be a symptom.

Stay Hydrated

Everyone’s hydration needs are different, so you have to figure out how much water you need to stay fully hydrated. You don’t want to become dehydrated because this saps the natural lubricants in your joints and deprives cells of the fluid they need for optimum function.

Follow these tips to improve your water consumption:

  • Keep a refillable water bottle with you, so you have access to water no matter where you go.
  • Set an alarm on your phone if you tend to forget to drink water.
  • Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to consume water – stay ahead of the game.
  • Watch out for alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, which are dehydrating.
  • Look at the color of your urine; it should be a pale yellow, like straw. Anything darker means you’re probably dehydrated.

Lose Excess Weight

Every step you take puts pressure on your lower extremities. If you are overweight, you are adding even more impact to your movement. That can take a toll on your back, hips, legs, and feet.

Losing weight can make a huge difference in how you feel on a day-to-day basis. And the more weight you lose, the easier it becomes to exercise, which also helps with pain management (see “Reduce Stress” below).

If you’re already exercising a lot, but those pounds won’t budge, it may help to consult with a nutritional specialist, like a registered dietician. Also, check with your primary care provider to make sure you don’t have any medical conditions, like hypothyroidism, that could be slowing down your metabolism.

Reduce Stress

Chronic stress can lead to or provoke mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, that actually cause physical pain. When the chemicals in your brain are out of balance, you can experience body aches and fatigue that make other pain worse.

If you’re already dealing with chronic pain, psychologically caused pain can further isolate you and cause feelings of hopelessness. But managing stress can help reverse that. Some ways to reduce stress include:

  • Get plenty of exercise without overdoing it.
  • Spend time in nature, around pets, or with friends and family you enjoy seeing.
  • Join a support group or find a counselor to talk through issues bothering you.
  • Get long-term problems under control (money management, career objectives, etc.)
  • Take up a relaxing hobby, like painting, music, or cooking.
  • Try traditional Eastern therapies, such as tai chi, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, or massage.
  • Learn to say “no” to too much, both at work and at home.
  • Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going to avoid classic stressors like rush hour traffic jams.
  • Avoid substance abuse, which seems like an escape but actually makes stress worse.

Quit Smoking

If you thought eating sugar was bad, smoking is a million times more harmful to the body. Quitting smoking will affect virtually every body system in a positive way. You’ll get better blood flow throughout the body, which helps with the circulation of both natural pain relievers and any medications you take. You’ll be able to exercise more and enjoy the foods you eat.

Work on Sleep Hygiene

All the healthy eating and exercise in the world won’t help you if you aren’t sleeping well at night. Sleep hygiene is the medical term for creating an environment that’s conducive to restful slumber, so you wake up refreshed in the morning. Follow these suggestions to improve your sleep hygiene:

  • Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, giving yourself enough time for the sleep you need, whether that’s six hours or nine hours.
  • Don’t bring stress into the bedroom, such as doing work in bed.
  • Develop a relaxing bedtime routine that you practice every evening, like taking a warm bath and having a cup of herbal tea.
  • Get rid of screens about an hour before you intend to go to sleep, or use screen shaders or blue-blocking glasses if you must use an electronic device.
  • Make sure your room isn’t too hot or too cold (slightly cool is good for inducing sleep and has other benefits too). Use layers of blankets to get the comfort you need throughout the night. Wear comfortable pajamas of natural fabrics that breathe well.
  • Keep kids and pets in their own spaces as much as possible.
  • Try using white noise if silence or ambient sounds are disturbing your sleep.

If you try all these tips and feel tired when you arise, you could have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if this is a possibility.

Be Conscious of Your Posture

Your posture when you sit, stand, or move can have a huge influence on your chronic pain. You could be putting stress on your spine and joints by not positioning yourself correctly. Make sure you sit and stand up straight and use proper support and ergonomics, whether you’re at your desk at work or reading in bed.

Use footwear with good arch support, and avoid high heels and shoes with pointed toes. Engage your abdominal muscles for extra help when exercising or lifting objects. If you’re not sure how to do this, a personal trainer or physical therapist can show you how.

See a Qualified Pain Specialist

Chronic pain management can be challenging without a pain specialist to help you. You may not even know what’s causing your pain or where to start with treatment. That’s where Carolinas Pain Center can assist you.

We are a group of providers who are pain specialists in North Carolina. We can help you get relief and learn how to manage pain so you don’t feel overwhelmed by it and can get back to loving life. You don’t have to accept the chronic pain you’re experiencing now when there are many options available to you. Start with the tips above, and reach out to Carolinas Pain Center today to learn how you can do more.

Top Reasons You Should See a Pain Specialist

Pain, Treatment Information -
  • pain specialist

Pain can impact every area of your daily life. Its snowball effect can magnify your pain levels. Unlike with injuries where the pain has a sudden onset and goes away in a few days or weeks, chronic pain is something you feel each day. Simply visiting an emergency room or the primary care physician may not give you lasting relief.

This is where visiting a pain specialist comes into play. This is a physician who knows how to manage chronic pain and work with people who sustained injuries from significant accidents to help them recover. At Carolinas Pain Center, we have a team of pain management specialists who can manage your care by working to correct whatever causes your chronic pain. If you’re wondering if a trip to our office is necessary, we’ll explain below the top reasons you should consider booking an appointment.

1. Find the Root Cause of Your Pain

A pain specialist can diagnose and treat any underlying chronic conditions you may have that are the root cause of your pain. For example, maybe you have arthritis that causes swelling and pain in your joints. It may seem like only a simple fix is needed. However, deeper issues could contribute to this chronic health condition. For example, maybe obesity is partially to blame for your arthritis, and you have depression that contributes to the obesity. You’ll get a tailored and comprehensive treatment plan by pinpointing and addressing each component.

2. Multidisciplinary Treatment Approach

Since the pain can affect your entire body, treating chronic conditions requires a multidisciplinary approach. So, you’ll most likely have multiple services and providers on your care team. This could mean that you have appointments for phycological therapy, physical therapy, interventional injections or procedures, or medication management. Since pain levels will vary from person to person, the treatment plan will depend on your symptoms and situation. 

3. A Referral Is Usually Not Needed

Unlike with many specialists, you usually don’t need a specific referral from your primary care physician to book an appointment with a pain doctor. This can make getting an appointment much quicker because you won’t have to wait days or weeks for the referral to come through before you set up an appointment. So, you’ll be able to start getting a tailored treatment plan to help manage your chronic pain faster, even if it’s for something more complex, like fibromyalgia.

4. Treat Many Chronic Conditions

There are several different chronic conditions, just like there are various kinds of chronic pain. A pain doctor has unique qualifications that allow them to diagnose and treat many conditions. These can include pinched nerves, chronic back or neck pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, etc. They can also assist with anxiety, obesity, stress, and depression.

Book an Appointment with a Pain Specialist at Carolinas Pain Center

If you’re ready to start managing your chronic pain and you want an experienced and professional medical team to help, book an appointment with us. We’re ready to sit down with you, go over your medical history, and get to the root of your pain to help build a tailored treatment plan to reduce your pain levels.

How to Find the Best Pain Management Treatment for You

Pain, Treatment Information -
  • pain management

Chronic pain is a complex medical issue, and it can, unfortunately, take quite some time to find a pain relief treatment or combination of treatments that work effectively. Chronic pain can develop as a result of an injury or a medical condition such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer treatments, and more.

Chronic pain has the potential to be a debilitating condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s work and social life, as well as their mental health. Pain is defined as chronic if it lasts longer than three months or continues to be an issue longer than the usual healing time for the underlying injury or condition.

In this article, we will explore chronic pain, some pain management treatments, and the potential effects of chronic pain.

 

Pain Management Doctors

Pain management doctors, like the professionals at Carolinas Pain Center, are healthcare providers who help individuals manage all types of pain. The different chronic pain management approaches they might employ include exercise, therapy, injections, and other pain medications. A single pain management treatment may work for one person, while others may need a combination of several.

These pain management plans are designed to help people dealing with chronic or long-term pain feel better and enjoy a better quality of life.

Diagnosing Pain

The first step to finding the best pain treatment for you is to establish what is causing it. The pain management provider helping you with your pain will ask you a series of simple questions such as:

  • When do you feel pain?
  • Where do you feel pain, and does it stay in one place or radiate (move)?
  • Does your pain get better or worse when doing certain activities?

These questions will help your provider understand the type of pain you’re dealing with, hopefully, identify the cause, and use that information to develop the most effective treatment plan for you. Remember that chronic pain medication can lead to drug addiction, and so there are chronic pain management guidelines that every provider must adhere to.

This is why the best pain management programs will combine a variety of treatment methods that address your pain both in the short and long term. 

What should I tell my pain doctor?

When talking to a pain doctor, it is important to be as detailed as possible so that they can help you effectively. If your provider gets the wrong idea about the severity, location, and limits caused by your pain, it can have a detrimental effect on your chronic pain relief treatment.

Things that can help you make sure you’re getting the best possible care include:

  • Keeping a pain diary with details of when, the severity, location, and what you were doing when pain occurred or got worse
  • Learning more precise words to describe your pain such as aching, burning, cramping, dull, piercing, tender, tingling, and more
  • Explaining how your pain affects and limits your life
  • Being clear about what your pain scale means to you — not everyone’s 10 is the same!
  • Being aware of potential bias due to gender, race, body type, mental health issues, and more
  • Bringing someone who can verify what you’re saying

Treatment Plans for Pain Management

Many believe that the most effective treatment for pain is simply to take a handful of painkillers and get on with their day. But just enduring the pain is not the answer either, as both can lead to a range of complications. These include possible prescription drug addiction, an underlying and treatable condition going undiagnosed and worsening, and more.

The preferred treatment for chronic pain will combine a variety of techniques that treat both body and mind and consider a patient as a whole person rather than just medicating their pain and ignoring everything else. This is not to say that pain management doctors won’t prescribe medication when necessary, though, and some examples of the type of medication they recommend include:

pain medication

 

  • Acetaminophen (like Tylenol)
  • Steroids such as prednisone and dexamethasone to alleviate pain and inflammation
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen
  • Anti-seizure medications, which can be effective when treating pain caused by injury or nerve damage
  • Beta-blockers that slow down the heart and can stop hormones, such as adrenaline, from being released
  • Antidepressants that can both improve sleep and alleviate pain in certain circumstances

 

 

Pain management programs will also often utilize therapy, which can be aimed at both mind and body.

Physical therapy is an incredibly important part of an effective chronic pain treatment plan, as pain can be exacerbated by exercise that isn’t done properly or overdoing exercises. With a proper exercise plan, you will be able to improve fitness, build tolerance, and reduce your pain over time.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help people learn about themselves, have a better understanding of what is causing their pain and the effect it is having, and what they can do about it. It is all about identifying the role that pain plays in your life and what that means for you personally.

Other pain management options that a pain management doctor may use include:

  • At-home remedies such as heat and cold therapy
  • Exercise including yoga, tai chi, swimming, walking, and a planned gym routine
  • Hands-on treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)
  • Lifestyle changes including the use of biofeedback therapy, meditation, relaxation techniques, diet changes, and more

 

Chronic pain managementEffects of Pain Without Pain Management

People with higher pain tolerance, especially those whose tolerance has built up over time due to suffering from chronic pain, tend to simply endure their pain, often using nothing more than over-the-counter painkillers to manage it on their worse days. But this is one of the worst things a person can do, as constant pain has been proven to lead to a number of sometimes debilitating side effects.

It often surprises people to learn that chronic pain has been linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression, opioid dependence, disability, and more. This is usually because people tend to misunderstand the difference between acute pain and chronic pain. Pain becomes something completely different when you are dealing with it day in and day out for months and even years.

 

Get Help for Your Chronic Pain

Living with pain on a daily basis can be one of the most challenging things a person can endure, both mentally and physically. If you’re in pain regularly — or even occasionally — speak to a pain management doctor about developing a personalized pain management plan. Remember to be completely open and honest about when you feel pain, as well as what helps to ease it or makes it worse.

It is also important to tell them if you are feeling anxious or depressed or even just suspect that you may be dealing with these serious mental health issues. Inform them about any treatments you have tried, as well as if a treatment isn’t working or the pain keeps returning.

A good healthcare provider who is skilled in chronic pain relief treatments will work with you to adjust your program and find a method that is more effective for you. If you would like more information on chronic pain, please visit our resources page.

Warning Signs of Neuropathy

Back Pain, Chronic Pain, Pain, Treatment Information -
  • neuropathy symptoms

Are you living with chronic pain? If you’re regularly experiencing things like pain, muscle weakness, and numbness, you could be suffering from an undiagnosed chronic pain disorder. Neuropathy is a very common chronic pain condition, particularly among adults with diabetes, people receiving chemotherapy, and people living with HIV. 

If you’re not familiar with neuropathy, it’s important to know the warning signs. In this post, you’ll learn the beginning symptoms of neuropathy, how to manage neuropathy, and more about the condition itself. This information will empower you to seek help from a medical professional if you suspect that you have the condition or are currently struggling to manage the symptoms. 

What Is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves. Rather than a single condition, neuropathy refers to a variety of health problems and the resulting symptoms that involve peripheral nerve damage. Neuropathy can be caused by diabetes, chemotherapy, HIV, physical trauma, autoimmune disorders, vascular disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and more.

This condition is chronic, incurable, and can affect people of all ages. However, there are ways of managing its symptoms and slowing its progression. Unfortunately, many people that are living with neuropathy have no idea that they’re suffering from nerve damage. That’s why it’s so important to know the various neuropathy symptoms.

Diagnosing Neuropathy

neuropathyThe beginning of neuropathy typically presents several symptoms, including tingling in the feet, burning sensations, hypersensitivity to touch or temperature, weakness, and balance issues. You may also have cuts or injuries that you don’t notice or aren’t healing properly, as neuropathy can affect your ability to feel pain. 

Neuropathy is a slow-moving disease with symptoms that progressively worsen over months and years if left untreated. The worst symptoms of neuropathy, which tend to occur when the condition is untreated for too long, include foot ulcers and bacterial infections that can lead to gangrene. 

If you suspect that you may be suffering from neuropathy, it’s essential to seek help from a medical professional today. Your doctor may then refer you to a neurologist to run tests for neuropathy, which include blood and imaging tests, nerve biopsies, and more. Once diagnosed, you can seek out a treatment plan for your condition from a chronic pain specialist. 

Neuropathy Management

If you manage neuropathy properly, you can lessen your symptoms and greatly slow the progression of the condition. Your doctor may prescribe certain medications to manage the pain, but there are things you can do at home to ease the symptoms. This includes eating a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein while being wary of foods that may trigger neuropathic pain, such as caffeine, nuts, and citrus fruits.

Taking care of your feet and engaging in regular exercise also make a difference. Though some fear that walking worsens neuropathy, it can actually help reduce your symptoms. Also, try to avoid excessive alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and monitor your blood glucose levels carefully if you have diabetes.  

You can also seek out personalized treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet, as well as hands, with your nearest pain specialist. 

Our Pain Specialists Can Help

Receiving proper treatment and managing neuropathy properly will make your symptoms much more tolerable, improving your quality of life. Now that you know the warning signs of neuropathy, you can determine if it’s necessary to reach out to a medical professional for help. 

If you live in the Charlotte or Huntersville area, we encourage you to reach out to the Carolinas Pain Center. Our pain specialists serve patients dealing with all types of pain, including neuropathy. We’ll provide you with a personalized care and treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms and slow the progression of the condition. 

To make an appointment with us, please call 704-500-2332 or fill out our online form. We will get back to you as soon as possible. 

How Pain Affects Sleep?

Pain, Treatment Information -
  • Pain affects sleep

How Pain Affects Sleep? What To Do To Improve Your Sleep?

Does the pain keep you up at night?

It is a common observation that pain affects sleep, we cannot enjoy sound sleep during pain.

Site Search