Answers to Questions About Pain and Pain Relief from Blue Ridge Pain Management

How do you treat my pain?

The first step is an accurate diagnosis if your referring doctor has not already delivered one. Then, depending upon the severity of your pain, we treat it in a number of ways, including one or more of the following. Note that we do use pharmaceuticals, but we do not rely on them exclusively:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Motrin® or Aleve®, since specific types of pain are associated with inflammation
Acetaminophen, a painkiller such as Tylenol®
Narcotics, such as morphine or codeine, when absolutely necessary
Local anesthetic, usually by injecting a painkiller into the area where you have pain
Nerve blocks, which use local anesthetics to block a group of nerves from sending pain signals to your brain
Electrical stimulation, which disrupts nerves from sending pain signals
Physical therapy, which helps to strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility
Surgery, when more conservative treatment fails
Psychotherapy (talk therapy) to ease the mental discomfort of new physical limitations
Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing
Biofeedback, a treatment technique that trains you to improve your health by using signals from your own body
Behavior modification, to help you change your lifestyle

Will I have to take pain medication?

Pain medication is one of many courses of action. Since pain medication, if effective, often works fast, you may be prescribed a pain reliever while working toward a more permanent solution. The staff at Blue Ridge Pain Management stays committed to providing you with the best quality care available to the public in Western North Carolina. We will do whatever it takes to ease your pain, so sometimes that requires pain medication. As a rule, though, our treatments do not rely exclusively on pharmaceuticals.

What can I do to help manage my pain at home?

Living with pain takes care and attention. While Blue Ridge Pain Management can ease, reduce or even eliminate your pain when you visit, sometimes your pain may come back when you’re at home and cannot get back to the clinic. Here are some tips for preventing pain and for treating it at home:

Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue can wear on your body, causing more pain than normal. If you are having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, avoid caffeine, get some exercise and don’t nap during the day.
If you start to feel your pain returning, do not ignore it. If you start to feel depressed about your situation, seek help. Remember that our goal is to get you back to your normal life, not a life of depression.
Learn when you might expect more pain than normal, such as at the end of the day, in the morning or after strenuous activity. If you’ve been given a prescription for pain medication, take it before you know your pain will get worse. Always follow your provider’s instructions concerning medication.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Eat right, exercise, stop smoking cigarettes and manage your stress levels. This advice will help you reduce pain and improve your overall health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Office Policy

General Pain Management

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