Chronic pain is a serious medical condition attracting equally serious attention in recent times for the overwhelming opioid epidemic sweeping the country. Since the 1990’s, many physicians considered opioids the first line of defense for people struggling with chronic pain conditions. This unfortunate prescribing practice was put into motion by drug companies falsely marketing the effects of long-term opioid use, resulting in prescriptions increasing three-fold in the past two decades. With this increased availability, we have seen a new category of addiction emerge through legally obtained medications that spiraled out of control in recent years. Overdosing on prescription opioids is now responsible for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
So what is the answer for chronic pain patients who are suffering and need a safe and effective option to treat their pain? The most important thing a patient suffering from chronic pain needs to do is educate herself and know the REAL facts. For example, there is substantial evidence that proves that opioids are good for managing short-term pain like a broken leg or a pulled wisdom tooth. Evidence that opioids are effective in managing long-term pain, like degenerative disc disease or sciatica is very weak. There is very strong evidence, however, that supports the dangers of long-term opioid use. For example, an article published by the National Institute of Drug Abuse states that there is growing evidence that long-term treatment with opioids may induce hyperalgesia, an increase in pain sensitivity as a result of the chronic administration of opioid medications.
So what does a chronic pain sufferer do next? Take action to win your life back and attack your pain at its source. Seek medical care from a board-certified interventional pain management physician who is specifically trained to best treat chronic pain conditions, with a multi-modality approach focusing on interventional therapies like epidural injections and nerve root blocks. These injections target the root cause of your pain, providing pain relief for months at a time. Highly effective and minimally invasive, interventional pain treatments are the key to recovery.
MidSouth Pain Treatment Center is highly recognized as a professional leader for interventional treatments in pain management. The highly trained and compassionate staff utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and innovative techniques in the treatment of all types of chronic pain as well as acute shingles pain and migraine headache pain. We have locations in Tennessee and Mississippi, including two surgery centers, conveniently located to serve the Mid-South area and beyond.
Click here to request a consultation today or if you would like to discuss more of this, contact us today to find a Midsouth Pain Treatment Center branch near you in Tennessee or Mississippi.
Click here to view MidSouth Pain Treatment Center’s website.