Pain Treatment: Innovative Options to Improve Your Quality of Life
New Options for Treating Chronic Pain: Advances that Give Hope
Living with chronic pain is not easy. Many people live every day with pain that won’t go away, affecting their work, rest, relationships and emotional well-being. In recent years, new options for treating chronic pain have emerged. Medicine is advancing and today we have more modern, personalized approaches that can help many people live with less pain and a higher quality of life.
Regenerative Therapies:
This field of knowledge seeks not only to alleviate pain, but also to repair the damage to the tissues that cause it. For example, stem cell or precursor cell therapies, as well as tissue engineering, are being used experimentally to regenerate damaged joints, such as in cases of degenerative osteoarthritis or spinal injuries. There is no better therapy than what the patient finds in his or her own body. These cells can be found in different tissues, for example in auricular cartilage cells, in the patient’s bone marrow and even in the patient’s own blood.
Treatments acting on the nervous system:
One of the newest approaches is called neuromodulation. This treatment uses electrical impulses to change the way the nervous system sends pain signals to the brain. There are options to be performed with a simple needle for example by performing pulsed radiofrequency, which uses temperature as a “neural modulator”, or PENS (Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) therapy, which performs electrical stimulation at specific frequencies and intervals to “confuse” the central nervous system in its perception of pain.
One of the best known methods within this technique is spinal cord stimulation. This technique involves placing a small device near the spinal column that sends controlled electrical impulses to block the sensation of pain. Although it requires minor surgery, it can be very effective for people with certain types of pain, especially when other treatments have not worked.
This same neurostimulation is also performed at the cerebral level, in cases that are very refractory to treatment.
There are non-invasive options, i.e., that do not require surgery, which are becoming more and more common. Some examples of these are transcranial magnetic stimulation or neurostimulation of the vagus nerve. They have shown good results in conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic migraines or pain after a stroke. Personalized treatments are also being developed with the help of artificial intelligence and big data, for example, to find the stimulation parameter that most benefits patients with a spinal cord electrode. This technology is helping physicians to create more personalized treatments.
A more humane and hopeful approach:
The good news is that today we have more options than ever to treat chronic pain. It is no longer just a matter of “toughing it out” or taking pills, but of seeking treatments that are tailored to each person, that respect their body and that seek to improve their overall well-being.
Living with pain should not be normal. If you are in pain, seek specialized medical care, be confident in your right to receive comprehensive care, and don’t resign yourself to it. Science and medicine are advancing, and you deserve treatment that starts with the most important thing: knowing what is causing your pain and how it can actually be treated.
The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis in Pain Management
Living with pain, especially when it becomes constant, can profoundly change a person’s life. Daily tasks become difficult, rest is interrupted, and many times, sufferers feel misunderstood. In the midst of this daily struggle, there is one key aspect that makes a difference.
difference between effective treatment and years of unnecessary suffering: an accurate diagnosis.
Although it may seem obvious, many people with chronic pain spend years consulting different specialists, having tests and trying treatments without finding real relief. This happens, in many cases, because the cause of the pain has not been correctly identified. Understanding what is causing it is the first, and probably the most important, step to being able to treat it properly.
Why is diagnosis so important?
Pain is not a disease in itself, but a symptom. It can be related to a myriad of conditions: muscle problems, joint problems, nerve problems, autoimmune diseases, injuries, infections, among many others. Without a clear diagnosis, it is very difficult to choose the right treatment. Imagine, for example, a person who feels constant pain in the back. This pain may be due to a muscle contracture, a herniated disc, an undetected fracture, an infection, or even an inflammatory disease. Each of these causes requires a completely different treatment. A correct diagnosis allows the medical team to know the exact origin of the pain, assess its severity, know whether it is a temporary or chronic condition, and establish a treatment plan with a greater chance of success. It also reduces the unnecessary use of medications, avoids invasive procedures and helps the patient better understand his or her situation.
How do you arrive at an accurate diagnosis?
To reach a proper diagnosis, the first and most important thing is the clinical history and examination of the patient. It is also necessary to know the personal and family history, as well as the treatments already tried and their effect.
In many cases, complementary studies such as blood tests, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound or electromyograms are also requested. As their name suggests, they are COMPLEMENTARY. A pathology cannot be diagnosed exclusively by the test alone. The typical example is disc herniation. Its finding can mean the cause of a pain, or not, depending on whether it is compatible with the physical examination. Sometimes, the participation of different specialists is required since pain treatment is multidisciplinary. This helps to see the problem from different angles, avoiding erroneous or incomplete diagnoses.
Consequences of incorrect or late diagnosis
When the cause of pain is not correctly identified, there is a risk of falling into a dangerous cycle as it can lead to further perpetuation of pain: repeated tests, treatments that do not work, frustration, anxiety, and mistrust of healthcare professionals. This can lead to overuse of medications, especially powerful analgesics such as opioids, which in the long term can lead to serious side effects or misuse by the patient.
Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of good pain management. It allows treating the cause, not just the symptoms, and opens the door to more effective, safe and personalized treatments. It also helps patients regain control over their health, feel understood and have hope for improvement.
Living with pain should not be normal. If you are in pain, seek medical attention
specialized, be confident in your right to receive comprehensive care and don’t resign yourself to it. Science and medicine are advancing, and you deserve treatment that starts with the most important thing: knowing what is causing your pain and how it can actually be treated.
Dr. Enrique del Cojo
Medical Director MIVI Cáceres