疼痛管理
Specialized treatments help acute and chronic pain
If you are suffering from lower back pain, thoracic pain, headaches, neuralgia, herpetic neuralgia, cervical (neck) pain, cancer pain, arthritis or other types of pain, our goal is to provide relief through a variety of interventions, including minor operative procedures.
What kind of physician offers specialized pain treatment?
Dr. Deofil Orteza, an interventional pain anesthesiologist, will partner with you in the care and treatment of your chronic pain management.
The pain control goal
Pain relief is an important part of your health care, and we will work with you to help provide adequate control of your pain. In some cases, it’s not possible to totally eliminate pain, so the goal is to ease the pain, so it is reduced to an acceptable level.
How can I assist in my pain control?
It’s important to remember that pain is more easily prevented than eliminated. Let us know if you have found any particular methods of pain relief effective or ineffective, whether any activities increase your pain or if you have any concerns regarding pain and pain control.
Effective communication with our staff is important in providing you with adequate pain control. We need to know how severe the pain is, where it is, a description of the pain, how long you have had it, how it has changed and what may aggravate or ease the pain.
How do you rate pain?
We use a pain scale from zero to 10 to rate your pain. Zero indicates no pain and 10 is the worst possible pain you can imagine. This rating will help to provide consistent communication about your pain.
What are the pain control options?
We have different options available to help control your pain. Pain control is usually separated into pharmacological (medication-based) and non-pharmacological methods.
The nurse will explain the pain medications ordered for you by your physician. If the medications ordered for you are not effective, please discuss this with your physician and your nurse. The nurse will also explain possible side effects and how they may be controlled. Sometimes your doctor will decide to order a different medication.
What are some drug-free pain control methods?
Non-pharmacological methods of pain control include relaxation techniques, massage, exercise, heating pads, ice packs and other things.
A quiet room with the music of your choice may also help relax you enough to ease the pain. We offer some simple and helpful relaxation techniques.
Can lifestyle changes reduce pain?
When appropriate, we can advise patients about making lifestyle changes, such as weight loss. Special exercises, counseling and physical therapy can be helpful for some patients.
Injections for pain management
In some cases, therapeutic injections such as cortisone injections can provide long-lasting pain relief.
Surgical methods of pain management
A variety of surgical techniques can address chronic pain, depending on the location and diagnosis. If your pain isn’t responding to more conservative attempts, you and your doctor can discuss whether a surgical intervention could be helpful.
Location
The clinic is at 530 Park Ave. E., Main Hospital, Room 336.
