The Importance of a Consultation for Your Chronic Pain

An estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain but not all of them get the medical help they need to manage it.

At Interventional Pain Center, pain management specialist James Stephens, DO, and our team specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain and the conditions that cause it. We offer a range of nonsurgical therapies to increase your comfort level and also use advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques to address the root cause of pain.

If you haven’t yet sought medical attention but can no longer stand being in pain, don’t put off a consultation. Delaying care for some chronic pain conditions can lead to more serious complications.

Causes of chronic pain

Chronic pain can result from a range of underlying diseases and injuries. This type of pain typically lasts longer than six months and may not be treatable with over-the-counter medications. For some, chronic pain can become physically debilitating and ultimately affect your mental and emotional health.

Our interventional pain specialists can diagnose and treat many conditions that cause persistent pain, including:

Gout
Cancer
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Herniated discs
Degenerative spine diseases

We also address chronic pain that results from workplace accidents, car accidents, and falls that cause spinal injuries, joint damage, and other painful injuries.

Why prompt evaluations are important for chronic pain

Because a number of health issues and complications are linked to chronic pain, you should never delay a diagnostic evaluation, or your situation can quickly worsen.

Our pain specialists recommend that you schedule an evaluation when you have persistent pain that you can’t manage on your own, pain that lasts longer than a few days, or pain that continues to worsen even with rest and home care.

We use advanced diagnostic imaging technologies, lab work, and physical exams to identify the source of your pain. An accurate diagnosis is an essential part of managing chronic pain. Without a prompt diagnosis, you likely won’t get the treatment you need to prevent pain from worsening.

Some conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis, progress and become more complex without early intervention. For instance, untreated osteoarthritis can lead to joint deformities that are only correctable with joint replacement surgery.

Exploring your chronic pain management strategies

At Interventional Pain Center, we offer a range of effective pain relief solutions and customize a care plan to manage the cause of your chronic pain. Your treatment may include a combination of nonsurgical strategies like:

Physical therapy
Oral medications
Nerve blocks
Nerve ablation

Our providers also have extensive experience and training in minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat spinal injuries or disease. They specialize in spinal cord stimulation, spinal fusion, and intrathecal pain pumps for cancer pain.

Typically, the sooner you seek treatment for chronic pain, the less invasive your treatment plan will be. Our pain experts discuss all of your options for managing chronic pain, so you can make the most informed decisions about your long-term health.

Call the Interventional Pain Center office in Norman, Oklahoma, to schedule a chronic pain consultation or book an appointment online today.