Sponsored by Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital
Chronic pain affects millions of Americans each year. Whether it’s mild discomfort from sitting too long at work, or severe, debilitating pain, there’s nothing easy about it.
Pain is considered chronic when it lasts for three months or longer. This doesn’t mean three straight months of pain, however. In some cases, it may go away for days or even weeks, only to re-emerge later.
Many people experience periods of severe pain followed by mild pain. Whether the pain is due to an accident or injury or just seemed to happen it is important to identify your pain. Things to track would be the location of the pain, what seems to make it better or worse, what works to lessen the pain, and how long have you been dealing with this pain.
Recognizing the warning signs of your pain can help get you on the right track before your condition becomes too serious.
Some of the signals you should be on the lookout for include:
• Deep throbbing pain in the lower back and hamstrings
• Tightness in the spine and surrounding tissues
• Swelling and stiffness in surrounding muscle regions
• Sleep disturbances
• Reduced flexibility
• Recurring pain
When the pain persists, there are specialists who can help. Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital understands the importance of managing pain in patients and recognizes the significance of having physicians on staff who specialize in managing chronic pain conditions. Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital is home to board-certified pain management physicians who have in-depth training in the physiology of pain and who are also state and national leaders for new advancements in treating chronic pain. Offering unparalleled care and innovative technology to its patients in the region, Cypress Pointe is conveniently located in Hammond.
Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital offers a number of pain management procedures along with the support of its elite team of pain specialists. Visit cypresspointehospital.com to learn more and take the first step toward a pain-free life.
Treatment options for your chronic pain: Connect with a specialist at Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital to find out what treatment could work for you.
- Spinal Cord Stimulator: A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) device is surgically placed under your skin to send a mild electric current to your spinal cord. Thin wires carry the current from a pulse generator to the nerve fibers of the spinal cord. When turned on, the SCS stimulates the nerves in the area where your pain is felt. Pain is reduced because the electrical pulses modify and mask the pain signal from reaching your brain.
. - Radiofrequency Ablation: Similar to a needle biopsy, RFA involves inserting a needle-like probe into the body. In some types of chronic pain, RFA can disable nerve fibers that are carrying the pain signal through the spinal cord to the brain. In the right patients, about 70% of RFA procedures provide pain relief that lasts for a year or more.
- Pain Management Injections: Injections are a nonsurgical treatment option for acute or chronic neck or back pain. The right injections can deliver medication directly to the anatomic location that generates pain, which may provide more neck or back pain relief than oral medications.
- Lumbar Discectomy: Lumbar discectomy is utilized to fix a disc in the lower back. During a minimally invasive lumbar discectomy, your surgeon takes out part of the damaged disc. This helps ease the pressure on the spinal cord. Your surgeon can use different methods to do this. Unlike an open lumbar discectomy, the surgeon makes only a very small skin incision and does not remove any bone or muscle.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to pain management, but trying a new technique can bring a measure of hope. Visit cypresspointehospital.com to learn more and get back to living without pain.
