7 Non-Invasive Treatments for Hip Pain

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Healthy hips let you twist and turn freely.

But hip injuries, failed hip surgery, and disease and degeneration from aging can keep you from doing all the working, playing, helping, and participating that your life demands.

Non-surgical treatment is the best way to address the pain and restore function. 

Here are seven non-invasive or non-surgical treatments for hip pain.

1. Steroid Injections 

Pain can stop you in your tracks, and when it does, steroid injections directly into the hip can give you immediate pain relief.

Steroid injections contain two main ingredients: a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation and a numbing agent or anesthetic to numb the pain.

2. Platelet-Rich Plasma Infusions 

Taking platelets from your blood and infusing them into your hip area can heal wounds and repair cartilage for hip problems caused by injury. 

There’s no scientific evidence, however, that this therapy is effective for pain due to arthritis. 

3. Nerve Block

Nerve blocks can provide short-term relief for chronic hip pain due to injury or hip surgery (including hip replacement surgery). 

The procedure involves injecting an inflammation-reducing steroid straight into the femoral-obturator nerves to stop them from sending pain signals.

4. Radiofrequency Ablation

Once nerve blocks successfully provide short-term hip pain relief, radiofrequency ablation becomes a viable option for long-term pain relief.

The procedure involves heating and inserting a specially-designed needle into the femoral and obturator nerves running into the hip joints. The needle’s heat can stop these nerves from sending pain signals for more than six months.

5. Trigger-Point Injections

In the hips and other areas, painful muscle knots known as “trigger points” can form when muscles are tense for too long. Often, you can feel these knots under the skin. 

These trigger points can irritate the nerves around them and cause you even more pain. 

A trigger point injection involves injecting an anesthetic, saline, or corticosteroid straight into the trigger point. One procedure can bring long-term relief.

6. Physical and Occupational Therapy

Regardless of what’s causing it, physical therapy can reduce pain over time by increasing flexibility and strengthening muscles and soft tissue.

And when it comes to reducing pain caused by daily life’s demands, occupational therapy can help. Learning healthy sitting and standing posture and sound techniques for movements like lifting objects and sitting up in bed can help minimize or eliminate pain.

7. Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Medications

OTC pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) can relieve hip pain and reduce inflammation. 

Treatment for Hip Pain at Texas Pain Physicians

If you have hip pain, please give us a call today. We can explain more about any of these treatments and find out the best option for your specific health situation. 

If you would like to book a visit with us online, please click here.

10 Treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

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Breaking or spraining a limb or having surgery hurts. That’s normal.

But burning pain, warm, sensitive, and swollen skin, and restricted mobility in your hands and feet long after an injury or surgery aren’t. 

These symptoms could mean complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) — a chronic pain disorder.

Yes, some doctors say it’s just a made-up condition for drug seekers.

And they’re wrong. It’s a real disorder. Here are some minimally-invasive treatments:

1. Nerve Block Injections

Research suggests that injury to or abnormality with the peripheral or central nervous system may cause complex regional pain syndrome.

Nerve block injections can give you quick, extended pain relief by blocking errant nerve signals. 

The two types of nerve block procedures for CRPS are stellate ganglion blocks and sympathetic nerve blocks.

2. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy can relieve chronic pain conditions like CRPS by applying electrical impulses to nerve endings.

3. Spinal Cord Stimulation

This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting tiny electrodes along your spinal cord, which deliver electrical current that can relieve chronic pain.

4. Physical Therapy

For many people affected by CRPS, one of the keys to a better quality of life is improved or fully restored limb function. 

Physical therapy can do this by increasing blood flow, strength, and flexibility in the injured limb.

5. Desensitization

One of the symptoms of CRPS is increased or extreme skin sensitivity. Even gentle contact with the affected limb or area can be painful. 

Desensitization therapy can decrease the sensitivity over time by introducing affected areas to various sensations, including varying textures, weights, and temperatures.

6. Oral and Intravenous Medication

There aren’t any CRPS-specific medications, but the following medicines can help with the pain:

  • over-the-counter pain medications (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin)
  • Antidepressants and anticonvulsants
  • corticosteroids
  • dextromethorphan 
  • intravenous ketamine

7. Topical Pain Medication

Over-the-counter creams and patches, such as lidocaine and capsaicin, can reduce skin hypersensitivity.

8. Occupational Therapy

CRPS can be a debilitating condition that stops you from performing everyday activities and maintaining your school, work, family, and social life.

Occupational therapists can teach and equip you with methods and assistive devices that help you adapt so you don’t have to put your life on hold.

9. Mirror Therapy

With “magical” mirror therapy, you first position yourself next to a mirror.

Next, you hide your CRPS-affected limb, allowing the mirror image of your healthy limb to “take its place.”

Finally, move your healthy limb around and watch it move in the mirror.

The goal is to train your brain to perceive your healthy limb as your CRPS-afflicted limb. Research suggests this might increase flexibility and function and reduce pain.

10. Psychotherapy

How you think can have a massive impact on you physically.

Mental illnesses such as PTSD, major depressive disorder, and social anxiety disorder can make you focus and even obsess about pain symptoms.

That’s why getting your mental illness treated can give your CRPS treatment an added boost.

World-Class Treatment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 

At Texas Pain Physicians, our mission is to provide comprehensive pain care to our patients. 

Our board-certified pain physicians work in the most advanced pain care facilities and have the expertise and cutting-edge technology to improve your quality of life and functionality.

Please give us a call or book your appointment online today!

Do I Have Tendonitis or Tendinosis?

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You’ve probably had or at least heard of the tendon problem known as tennis elbow. And chances are you’ve heard people say that it’s a form of tendonitis.

You may not have heard of the other type of tendon problem called tendinosis.

Its symptoms are often mistaken for tendonitis, and therefore, it’s often treated like tendonitis. 

Let’s zoom in on five common misunderstandings to see if we can clear up the confusion.

1. Tendonitis is a chronic pain condition. (Wrong!)

Tendonitis is acute or sudden onset, short-term pain from inflammation due to a direct injury.

The symptoms of tendonitis, which are due to inflammation, include swelling, redness, and warmth.

By contrast, tendinosis or tendinopathy is chronic or consistent and recurring pain due to degeneration. Repetitive trauma or injuries causes degeneration characterized by microscopic tears in the tendon.

Tendinosis symptoms include pain but no swelling, redness, or warmth. 

2. Rest is always the best treatment for tendon pain. (Wrong!)

Resting or keeping weight off the tendon doesn’t cure tendinosis because the pain is due to degeneration rather than inflammation. 

The initial pain and swelling of tendinosis are similar to inflammation, but the underlying cause is chronic degeneration due to aging, repetitive use, or repeated injury. 

Tendonitis, however, is characterized by inflammation. Therefore, resting or keeping weight off of the tendon does help bring healing and pain relief. 

3. Anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and cold therapy are always effective treatments for tendon pain. (Wrong!)

These are effective treatments for pain from inflammation, so they are effective in treating tendonitis. 

For tendinosis,  anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and cold therapy can relieve pain in the short run but can’t heal the degenerative damage.

What will provide healing and pain relief is physical therapy that stretches the injured tendon and surrounding muscles.

4. Tennis elbow is always tendonitis. (Wrong!)

The truth is, tennis elbow can be either tendinosis or tendonitis. Tennis elbow affects the tendons that connect the forearm muscle to the outside of the elbow. 

Treatment will depend on the type of tendon pain.

5. Plantar fasciitis is a form of tendonitis. (Wrong!)

Plantar fasciitis is tendinosis in the plantar fascia, the long, thin ligament on the bottom of the foot. Over time, micro-tears develop in the plantar fascia, which causes pain. 

Tendonitis and tendinosis treatment in Houston and Dallas

At Texas Pain Physicians, our pain management specialists know how to diagnose and treat tendon pain. Please don’t make the mistake of guessing what’s causing your pain then applying the wrong treatment. 

To make your appointment, give us a call or book online today!

 

5 Popular Fibromyalgia Myths Debunked

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Fibromyalgia is often mistaken for other chronic pain conditions, disorders, and diseases.

There’s widespread misinformation about this disease, which has created a lot of confusion.

Let’s dig into it and separate five common fibromyalgia facts from fiction. 

1. Fibromyalgia isn’t real. (Wrong!!!)

Many doctors tell patients with fibromyalgia symptoms that the disease doesn’t exist. Then a rheumatologist or pain specialist diagnoses them with fibromyalgia. What’s going on here?

It’s simple. Everyone has blood pressure and blood sugar and experiences physical and emotional pain to some degree.

Doctors diagnose diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) when blood sugar and blood pressure are above the normal range on a sliding scale.

And that’s how they diagnose fibromyalgia, with pain being the variable that goes beyond the normal range instead of blood pressure or blood sugar.

Now, pain and fatigue from exercise, injuries, and lack of sleep comes and goes. It’s normal. But steady pain in several or more body parts for three months or longer isn’t, and fibromyalgia may be to blame.

2. Fibromyalgia is just normal muscle pain. (Wrong!!!)

General practitioners tend to think the cause of muscle pain and discomfort is in the immediate area. So, if your knee or ankle hurts, the problem must be in your knee or ankle. 

The reality, however, is that fibromyalgia pain is likely neurological (a problem with the central nervous system), and has non-pain symptoms.

3. Fibromyalgia is a fallback diagnosis. (Wrong!!!)

It’s often called a fallback diagnosis because there isn’t one specific test or telltale symptom used to diagnose it. 

However, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has developed specific diagnostic criteria.

These factors indicate fibromyalgia (according to the ACR): 

a) Recent pain and other symptoms such as fatigue and mental disturbances in the past week. The pain reaches a specific severity level and occurs in at least several out of 19 parts of the body.

Symptoms include fatigue, non-restoring sleep, and cognitive problems (memory and thinking impairment).

b) At least three months of consistent symptoms.

c) Absence of other health problems to account for these symptoms.

4. Fibromyalgia is just masked depression. (Wrong!!!)

Fibromyalgia and depression (major depressive disorder) are often associated because of their overlapping symptoms.

Many fibromyalgia patients also have depression, and many patients with depression also suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms. 

However, many people with fibromyalgia don’t have depression, and many people with depression don’t have fibromyalgia. 

5. Only women get fibromyalgia. (Wrong!!!)

Women account for at least 75% of fibromyalgia cases, and men are less likely to receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis. However, that doesn’t mean men are less likely to develop the disease.

 Gender-based bias in diagnosing fibromyalgia may be why women account for most cases.

Fibromyalgia Pain Treatment in Texas

Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or think you may have it? At Texas Pain Physicians, our expert pain specialists will find the cause of your pain or discomfort and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

To learn more or book an appointment, please give us a call. You can also make an appointment online 24/7.

7 Common Arthritis Myths Debunked

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According to the CDC, over 23% of adults have arthritis.

Like other common diseases and health conditions, there’s a lot of misconceptions about it. 

Let’s look at seven of the most common arthritis myths and zero in on the facts.

1. Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. 

Studies comparing the incidence of hand arthritis in habitual knuckle-crackers and non-knuckle crackers show that the habit likely doesn’t cause arthritis. 

But you may want to stop cracking your knuckles anyhow because studies show that habitual knuckle cracking can lead to lost grip strength and injuries. 

2. Arthritis isn’t preventable. 

Both your parents having arthritis is not a guarantee that you will. Though your genetic makeup does increase or decrease your chances, lifestyle choices factor in, too. 

Consistently high stress levels, excess body weight, and bad habits like smoking increase your risk of developing arthritis.  

3. Only older people get arthritis. 

Though the risk of arthritis increases sharply after age forty-five, younger adults and children can develop the disease, too. Injuries, especially repeated injuries, increase the risk of arthritis at all ages.

For instance, when someone suffers repeated knee injuries, the cartilage which pads the knee joint wears down, leading to osteoarthritis. 

4. Exercise makes arthritis worse. 

The myth is that exercise wears out the joints and increases the risk of arthritis.

The truth is that exercise can reduce arthritis pain and slow its progression. Safe, productive exercise builds up the muscles around the joints and increases flexibility and range of motion. 

5. Certain diets can ease arthritis symptoms.

This is only true for people who have celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or both. Otherwise, there is no scientific evidence that any diet improves arthritis symptoms. 

6. Joint pain means arthritis. 

If you have joint pain, you may have arthritis, and you may not. Other common conditions, such as bursitis, tendonitis, or soft-tissue injuries, may be causing the pain.  

These conditions and injuries cause swelling and pain in the structures around the joints, mimicking joint pain caused by arthritis. 

7. Joint replacement surgery is the only effective arthritis treatment. 

Many people with arthritis don’t ever need joint replacement surgery.

Yes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are progressive diseases. But treatment can effectively reduce or eliminate pain and slow degeneration, especially treatment in the early stages.

Arthritis Pain Treatment at Texas Pain Physicians

If you are in pain from arthritis or think you may have arthritis, we can help. Our board-certified pain specialists treat the full spectrum of arthritis pain with well-established and advanced interventional pain treatments. 

Please give us a call or book your appointment online.

7 Treatments for Chronic Neck Pain

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Most chronic or long-term pain and discomfort comes from wear and tear, injuries, and overuse — three things no one can avoid if they live long enough.

Neck pain and discomfort symptoms include:

  • Neck pain
  • Neck stiffness and reduced range of motion
  • Headaches
  • Muscle weakness in the arm, hand, or shoulder
  • Numbness, prickling, and tingling in the forearm, hand, and fingers

Pain specialists typically recommend non-invasive conservative treatments to relieve chronic neck pain. Below is a list of some of the most common treatments for neck pain:

1. Steroid Injections 

Some treatments take a while to relieve chronic neck pain. Steroid injections can provide relief within hours that can last for weeks or even months.

A simple outpatient procedure that takes a few minutes, a steroid injection can reduce or eliminate chronic neck pain long enough for you to start realizing benefits from physical therapy and other non-drug treatments.

2. Occupational Therapy 

Occupational therapists can help you improve your daily ergonomic awareness at work, on the go, and around the home.

For example, poor sitting and standing posture can cause chronic neck pain. Occupational therapy can teach you healthy moving and non-moving posture that involves maintaining your spine’s three natural curves (neck, mid-back, and lower back). 

3. Physical Therapy

A certified physical therapist can develop a stretching and strengthening routine tailored to your body. Consistent stretching and strengthening help your body heal faster and keep your neck and spine healthy.

Physical therapists may also recommend therapeutic devices, such as cervical or neck traction devices, to help relieve your neck pain. A neck traction device can ease neck pain related to nerve root irritation by gently stretching the neck.

4. Lifestyle/DIY Remedies

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines

OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen), and pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be effective pain management for chronic neck pain. 

R & R

Like a sore throat or a pulled hamstring, getting enough rest and sleep can help decrease chronic neck pain. 

Applying cold packs or compresses and warm compresses or heat pads to your neck can be comfortable and relaxing.

With chronic neck pain, which occurs because of damage to the neck’s bones, discs, and joints, this therapy likely won’t provide much, if any, pain relief. It may, however, provide some added comfort and relaxation that can help you rest. 

6. Prescription Medications

Muscle Relaxants 

If your chronic neck pain is making you lose sleep, muscle relaxants may help. Though pain specialists typically prescribe muscle relaxants for acute pain, these meds also cause drowsiness which can help you rest and sleep better. 

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Your pain specialist may recommend tricyclic antidepressants, especially if your chronic neck pain is nerve-related. 

Opioid Painkillers

If other treatments don’t work, your pain specialist might recommend painkillers on a short-term basis. 

7. Alternative Medicine

Alternative therapies such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage may relieve neck pain. If conventional treatments haven’t worked for you, you might want to ask your pain specialist about these therapies. 

Chronic Neck Pain Treatment in Houston, Dallas, and Other TX Locales

At Texas Pain Physicians, we provide comprehensive pain treatment. Our friendly pain specialists will assess your medical history, pain condition, and recovery goals to develop a unique pain treatment plan for you.

Please give us a call today or book your appointment online!

 

Common Car Accident Injuries, Symptoms, and Treatments

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A recent Esurance report found that the average driver will experience 3-4 accidents in their lifetime. 

Let’s look at some common car accident injuries, symptoms, and treatments (the below list is NOT in order of most common injuries).

1. Internal Bleeding

Your organs are delicate and vulnerable to trauma. These potentially life-threatening injuries are much more likely in high-speed crashes.

Symptoms: 

  • chest pain
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • dizziness
  • severe weakness
  • losing consciousness
  • low blood pressure
  • acute visual problems
  • numbness
  • weakness on one side of the body
  • severe headache
  • severe abdominal pain
  • shortness of breath

Treatment: 

Treatment varies depending on the severity. Minor internal bleeding may stop without intervention, but severe internal bleeding may require surgery and extended care (in hospice).

2. Concussions

Concussions or traumatic head injuries are when a sudden stop or impact jolts the brain hard enough to jostle against the inner wall of the skull. 

symptoms: 

  • headache
  • ringing in the ears
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • fatigue or drowsiness
  • blurry vision
  • confusion or mental fogginess
  • blurred vision

treatment: 

Doctors DO NOT recommend complete rest in a dark room for days.

In the first few days after a concussion, try to get as much sleep as needed and limit or avoid certain physical and mental activities.

For instance, try to cut back on high-concentration activities such as watching TV, playing video games, reading, and using computers — if these activities make your symptoms worse. 

Also, avoid exercise and physical activities for a few days, and continue avoiding them if your symptoms do not improve. 

3. Broken Bones

Common broken bone injuries resulting from auto accidents include:

  • back and neck vertebrae
  • clavicle (shoulder blades)
  • fibula (lower leg)
  • femur (upper leg)
  • cranial (skull)
  • facial bones
  • sternum (rib cage)

Symptoms: 

  • sudden, shooting pain
  • inability to bear weight
  • deformity (bone pushing up or penetrating through the skin)
  • limited or no range of motion (in limbs)
  • warmth in the affected area
  • bruising and redness

Treatment:

Broken bones must be realigned or set so that they heal correctly.

4. Musculoskeletal Injuries

Musculoskeletal injuries include muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, and blood vessels. These injuries can be painful and can restrict limb movement.

Example injuries:

  • Ligament sprain
  • mechanical back syndrome
  • Ruptured bulging or herniated discs

Symptoms:

Symptoms vary depending on the location and severity but generally include pain that worsens with activity. The affected area may also look red and inflamed.

Treatment: 

Treatment also varies depending on the severity, but generally, treatment plans will include:

  • rest
  • physical therapy
  • anti-inflammatories
  • muscle relaxers
  • heat/cold therapies
  • ergonomics

5. Whiplash (muscle strain) 

Though whiplash is a musculoskeletal injury, it’s so common in car accidents that it demands a separate category.

Whiplash is the sudden contorting and stretching of the head and neck muscles that causes muscle strain. It may be helpful to think of the forceful back-and-forth action of a cracking whip.

Most whiplash injuries in car accidents happen during rear-end impacts. 

Symptoms: 

Signs and symptoms of whiplash usually develop within days of the injury and may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Neck pain, stiffness, and lost range of motion
  • Worsening of pain with neck movement
  • Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull
  • Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back, or arms
  • Tingling and numbness in the arms

Treatment:

Your pain management specialist will likely recommend over-the-counter pain medication and exercise, including stretching exercises. Whiplash is a minor injury that heals within weeks.

6. Skin Injuries

Serious skin injuries include:

  • cuts
  • lacerations
  • gashes
  • tears

These skin injuries happen when sharp objects penetrate through the skin into the fat tissue. Cuts that measure more than a quarter-inch may need medical attention, and half-inch cuts usually need sutures. 

Rug or seatbelt burns, also known as abrasions, are minor skin wounds that don’t penetrate through the skin.

Treatment: 

Anti-bacterial treatment and bandages are sufficient for minor skin wounds that don’t penetrate through the skin. Bruises heal on their own within weeks.

Your Pain Specialists in Texas

At Texas Pain Physicians, our patients quickly come to trust our friendly staff and appreciate the benefits of expert care and innovative treatment methodologies and technology.

If you have been injured in a car accident and received initial medical treatment but are still in pain, please give us a call or book your appointment today.

 

 

Treatment and Management of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

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Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) can be extremely painful and debilitating. Treatment and medication for TOS depend on the specific type.

Treatment for Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (NTOS)

Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when the nerves leading from the neck to the arm are compressed. Over 90 percent of cases of thoracic outlet syndrome are neurogenic.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

  • pain
  • numbness and tingling in the hands
  • pain in the shoulder

Pain specialists often recommend a combination of two or more conservative treatments at the same time. NTOS treatments include (but are not limited to):

1. Physical Therapy

Physical therapists aim to ease symptoms and restore upper-body function. Treatments include:

heat packs: Applying heat packs can relax muscles and lessen pain.

exercise programs: Exercises consist of stretching to improve flexibility and increase strength in the affected areas.

cervical traction: Cervical traction devices help to relax the muscles, increase flexibility, and relieve pain. They do this by slightly stretching the neck, which decreases pressure on the spine by separating vertebrae. 

2. Biofeedback Therapy

A biofeedback therapist helps you practice relaxation exercises, which you fine-tune to control different body functions. 

During a therapy session, a biofeedback therapist attaches electrodes to your skin which monitor stress indicators, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and muscle activity.

The therapist teaches you to practice relaxation techniques in stressful situations, such as deep breathing and mindfulness.

3. Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist will generally recommend simple methods for relieving pain and relieving nerve compression, the underlying cause of NTOS.

They will recommend correcting poor posture and practicing safe ergonomics, such as safely lifting heavy objects. They may also recommend simple exercises you can perform at home.

4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective complementary treatment for TOS. It can help patients in three ways: 

  • Change their perception of pain.
  • Think about their experience in positive terms.
  • Eliminate or at least minimize believing the worst or exaggerating the situation.

5. Medication

Your pain management specialist may recommend taking over-the-counter drugs, such as 

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen and aspirin) and muscle relaxants, such as tizanidine, can relieve muscle stiffness and pain. 

6. Botox Shots for Pain 

Your pain specialist may recommend a botox injection in the muscle at the base of the neck. 

Botox injections can relax the muscles and ease the pain. The positive effects can last for up to 3 months, and the injections are repeatable.

Treatment for Venous and Arterial Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

These two types of thoracic outlet syndrome account for only 10 percent of cases. Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

  • pain
  • edema (swelling of the hands, fingers, and arms)
  • blue color in the hands and arms
  • bulging veins in the neck, shoulder, and hand

You will likely be treated for possible blood clots and have thoracic outlet decompression surgery. 

After this, you may need long-term pain management. In this case, your pain management specialist would recommend a combination of the above treatments and therapies.

Texas Pain Treatment and Management Specialists

At Texas Pain Physicians, our priority is to improve your quality of life.

If you have been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome or think you may have this condition, please give us a call at (972) 636-5727 or book your appointment online today.

7 Ways to Manage Cancer Pain

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Like other pain, the frequency and severity of cancer pain vary. It can be mild, moderate, and severe, as well as constant or chronic. 

Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to remove cancer can reduce pain and improve quality of life.

However, these are direct interventions oncologists (doctors who specialize in treating cancer) use to treat and manage cancer itself.

For pain specialists, the goal is to lessen or eliminate pain caused by cancer. Let’s look at seven ways they manage cancer pain. 

1. Anti-depressants and Anticonvulsants

Antidepressants such as Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) can provide cancer pain relief. 

Studies show that SNRIs are well-tolerated by cancer patients and beneficial in managing neuropathic pain, a type of pain that cancer can cause. TCAs are an older type of antidepressant. 

They can also provide relief from neuropathic pain caused by cancer but are not as well tolerated by cancer patients. 

2. Nerve Stimulation 

Peripheral nerve stimulation may be effective in managing cancer pain.

This pain management method involves surgically planting a small electrical device near the spine or brain. The device transmits electrical impulses to specific nerves that block pain messages from reaching the brain.

3. Nerve blocks

Nerve blocks are injections of local anesthetics into the space around the spinal cord that block the nerves around the spinal cord from sending pain messages to the brain. 

Nerve block injections can provide relief from moderate to severe cancer pain.

4. Complementary/Integrative Approaches 

Pain management specialists may recommend adding these non-medical approaches to a cancer pain management plan at any time.

They include acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, relaxation techniques, and movement therapies. 

5. OTC Pain Medications

Pain relievers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories ( aspirin and ibuprofen) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can treat moderate to severe cancer pain. Always check with your doctor before taking these medications. 

They can cause dangerous and potentially life-threatening side effects and are particularly dangerous when taken during chemotherapy treatment. 

6. Marijuana 

In some states, marijuana is legal and prescribed for cancer pain. Studies have found that marijuana can be effective in managing neuropathic pain caused by cancer. 

Also, CBD or cannabis in marijuana can reduce inflammation, which can bring pain relief.

7. Narcotic Pain Relievers

Opioids or narcotic pain relievers such as morphine and oxycodone relieve moderate to severe cancer pain.

Other medications and treatments are preferable, however, since narcotic pain relievers can foster drug dependency. 

Cancer Pain Treatment and Management in Texas

At Texas Pain Physicians, our board-certified physicians are skilled in managing cancer pain.

We can help you set realistic cancer pain management goals and closely monitor the success of your treatment. Please give us a call or book your appointment online today!

Neuropathy: 7 Pain Treatment and Management Options

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Stabbing, shooting, burning, and electric shock-like pain. Tingling and pins and needles sensations. 

Living with nerve pain and discomfort from neuropathy can be very, very hard. But pain management specialists know what to do. 

Once they have determined the underlying cause and the type of nerve damage, they can recommend effective treatment and management.

1. Diabetic Care

Diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathy (60-70 percent of people with diabetes suffer from some form of neuropathic pain). When diabetes is the cause, proper diabetic care can decrease and eliminate symptoms. 

2. Antidepressants 

Doctors often prescribe antidepressant drugs like tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors to treat neuropathy.

These drugs can reduce neuropathic pain by increasing chemicals in the brain that reduce incoming pain signals.

3. Anticonvulsants 

Pain specialists sometimes prescribe anticonvulsants to treat neuropathic pain because they may stop damaged nerves from transmitting faulty pain signals. 

4. Nerve Blocks

Nerve blocks can provide long-lasting relief from neuropathic pain.

A nerve block procedure involves injecting steroids, anesthetics, and other medications into the nerves producing faulty pain transmissions. The pain relief can last for days, weeks, or months. 

5. Electrical Impulse Stimulation

Typically, this treatment option is used only after other options have failed. 

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

First, a surgeon performs a minimally invasive surgery to implant a spinal cord stimulator. A spinal cord stimulator is a device that generates electrical impulses on your spine.

The electrical impulses alter how your brain processes pain by sending electrical impulses to the nerves in the spinal cord. 

Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation (DRGS)

If you suffer from neuropathy of the feet, hands, knees, groin, and chest, dorsal root ganglion stimulation is likely a better treatment option than spinal cord stimulation.

Like SCS, DRGS treatment uses electrical impulses to stop nerve pain. However, unlike SCS, DRGS trains electrical impulses on nerves in certain body parts (hands, feet, chest, etc.). 

Like SCS, a DRGS device implant on the spine involves a short surgical procedure.

6. Multidisciplinary Approach 

Neuropathic pain often responds poorly to any single pain treatment or management method.

A multidisciplinary approach that combines one or more methods, such as medications, physical therapy, psychological treatment, and surgery, can be much more effective.

Pain specialists coordinate with other health professionals to provide patients with the best possible pain treatment and management. 

7. OTC painkillers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can provide fast, convenient relief from neuropathic pain. However, they are often not effective when used without other treatments and therapies.

Neuropathy Treatment and Management in Texas

The pain and discomfort of neuropathy and the loss of sleep, anxiety, and depression that can accompany it, can be challenging to handle. 

At Texas Pain Physicians, our pain management specialists will work day and night to find the best course of treatment and management for you.

Please give us a call or book your appointment online today.