Chronic pain is often difficult to pinpoint exactly where the pain is coming from or what is causing it. Doctors, even with the best intentions, often only have one tool available to treat their patients such as a narcotic or opioid to treat a very complex, multi-faceted issue. Yet, if chronic pain could be thoroughly and completely diagnosed it could be treated more specifically. That is why Michigan Pain Consultants offers a Comprehensive Approach to Pain Care and Treatment.
Comprehensive Defined
Webster’s dictionary defines the word “Comprehensive” as:
1: covering completely or broadly; inclusive comprehensive examinations
2: having or exhibiting wide mental grasp; comprehensive knowledge
It is important to note that MPC’s physicians and pain management specialists have had advanced training and education in the specialty of pain. They understand the complex nature of chronic pain and how it can take a toll on a person’s entire life, both physically and emotionally. The goal at MPC is to provide treatment options that allow patients to gain lifestyle and functional improvements, giving them a chance to get back to enjoying some of life’s simple pleasures.
What is Comprehensive Pain Management?
Integration of access to multiple “tools” is the key. Effective pain management programs must provide pain care for patients and their families through the integration of medical, diagnostic and therapeutic services, functional rehabilitation, behavioral management, educational programs, and more. And it all begins with a full medical evaluation to diagnose the source of the pain.
Dr. Thomas Basch, MD with Michigan Pain Consultants explains: “When you only have one tool in the toolbox, problems can start. Michigan Pain Consultants has many tools and doesn’t need to rely on one exclusive tool, such as narcotics, in treating and managing patients suffering from chronic pain.”
Patients suffering from chronic pain not only feel physically beaten, but mentally as well. They can feel helpless. Michigan Pain Consultants works on getting rid of that helplessness. Dr. Basch continues, “One of the first things we do is to get an accurate diagnosis using specific techniques, an examination, we listen to the patient in detail and try to render a diagnosis. For example, we want to turn that chronic low back pain into something very specific. Once there is an accurate diagnosis, the whole world opens up to include physical therapy approaches, behavioral approaches, injection techniques, as well as a host of medications (not all narcotic), and complimentary medicine. Once the world opens up you can have a multitude of treatment options available, not just one.”
And how does physical therapy help?
“Usually people with chronic pain have inappropriate movement patterns. They try to adapt to what’s going on and other conditions arise because of those adjusted movements. A physical therapist helps the doctors understand how the patient is moving and trains them to move in a healthful way.”
The benefit of Comprehensive Pain Management begins with knowing that your chronic pain is multifaceted. Your chronic pain treatment must be as well.
Contact Michigan Pain Consultants Today
Exciting medical breakthroughs such as these continue to keep Michigan Pain Consultants at the forefront of providing effective pain management programs in the West Michigan area.
Make an appointment for a new patient consultation with one of their board certified pain physicians. All of Michigan Pain Consultant’s physicians are Board Certified in Anesthesiology or Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and have advanced training and experience in Pain Medicine. You can begin first by visiting online at MyLifeBeyondPain.com, MichiganPain.com, or by calling them at (800) 281-3237.
With six locations throughout West Michigan, Michigan Pain Consultants comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to pain care offers patients and providers renewed hope for relief from chronic pain. Chronic pain should be treated like other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure. Chronic pain requires chronic treatment. The goal of the treatment is to optimize the management of the pain, as opposed to curing the pain.