Understanding Chronic Pain: Causes, Treatment, and Relief Options

Pain can be very disruptive to your daily life. There are two basic types of pain, acute pain and chronic pain. In Reno, NV, Dr. Ali Nairizi, Dr. Nicholas Carlevato, or Dr. Andrew Wesely of Reno Tahoe Pain Associates offer the latest in chronic pain treatments to get you back to your normal life without constant pain.

Chronic Pain Causes

Chronic pain in Reno, NV, is not always the easiest thing to define, and it doesn't always have an obvious cause. It can begin with a medical condition or an accident and then morph into a condition that goes on for what seems like forever, definitely beyond three to six months. Chronic pain affects about 25% of the population in the United States. Some common causes are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, cancer, gallbladder disease, spinal stenosis, sciatica, headaches, and many other things. 

Treatment

Treatment for chronic pain begins at home with over-the-counter medication. This includes aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen. If you have questions, talk to your doctor about the dosage that works for you when it comes to over-the-counter medication. If these are not doing the trick, and you are still in pain, your doctor can give you a prescription for stronger pain medication. Most pain medicine that is taken orally has some side effects and these need to be considered when deciding which method to use.

Other types of medication, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants, can provide relief as well. It is not exactly understood why, but they affect the way the brain reacts to signals of pain or the connection between the spine and the brain. 

Relief Options

Chronic pain can be so disruptive to daily life that relief options need to be found when the more conservative methods are not providing the pain relief required. Minimally invasive methods that treat the nerves can be performed on the spine, including things like nerve ablation. By choosing doctors who specialize in pain, you are better able to get the latest methods for pain relief. For some types of pain, injections are the answer to pain relief and, in others, electric stimulation can make the difference. The cause of the pain determines the relief option. 

Contact Dr. Nairizi, Dr. Carlevato, or Dr. Andrew Wesely at Reno Tahoe Pain Associates when you are suffering from chronic pain in Reno, NV. Give the office a call at  775-384-1127 to make an appointment.