Chronic Pain Syndrome | Pain Management | Tyler Texas

Biochemical changes occur in the body associated with long-lasting pain in certain patients. Chronic pain syndrome is a difficult condition for pain physicians to both diagnose and treat since pain signals continue to fire for months, or even years, after the initial injury or health condition is treated and healed. When this occurs, it is critical patients contact a pain management specialist in order to alleviate the unwanted effects of chronic pain. As a multidisciplinary pain management practice located in Tyler, Texas, Pain Recovery Center of Tyler is here to treat patients suffering from chronic pain.

 

Chronic Pain Syndrome Overview

 

Chronic pain syndrome is responsible for causing neuropathic pain (pain triggered by the nervous system) for months or years after the injury or health condition is healed. The condition makes many aspects of life quite difficult for sufferers. Patients suffering from the condition often experience depression, frustration, anger and anxiety. The combination of these emotions may cause patients to no longer maintain a healthy home life or perform everyday work requirements.

Chronic pain syndrome is believed by many health professionals to be associated with certain health conditions and/or injuries. Pain management specialists often link osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar or cervical fractures, mechanical lower back pain, disc herniation and poor posture with long-term pain. 

Chronic pain syndrome requires a tailored pain management treatment plan of both counseling and medical treatment. At a pain management clinic, patients can receive both forms of treatment with a multidisciplinary approach. 

For additional resources on chronic pain syndrome, or to determine the correct pain management approach for your chronic pain, please contact the Tyler, Texas office of Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. You can also view our entire blog article dedicated to this topic here.  

Halloween Safety Tips | Injury Prevention | Tyler Texas

Now is the time of year when kids dress-up in costumes and go trick-or-treating around their community. Dressing-up and enjoying the candy are two of the many reasons families in the greater Tyler, Texas area love Halloween. Before your family begins roaming the streets, follow these Halloween safety tips courtesy of Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. Our pain physicians are proud to serve the East Texas area and to share injury prevention tips for all ages.

Halloween Safety Tips and Injury Prevention

• Trick-or-treat safely
• All children should have adult supervision at all times
• Only approach homes that are well-lit
• Beware of family pets when approaching their home

• Keep Halloween costumes creative and safe
• Carry glow sticks or wear glow jewelry as part of the costume
• Select the right size costume and ensure children can walk well in it to avoid trips and falls
• Use face paint and makeup instead of masks to help children see better
• Decorate candy bags with reflective tape
• Select a bright-colored costume, if possible, so children can be seen easier as the sun goes down

• Walk safely while trick-or-treating
• Cross the street at corners only after looking both ways
• Always walk on paths and sidewalks. If the road is the only option, always walk facing traffic
• Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes to avoid foot pain and/or slips and falls

As you and your family head out to trick-or-treat this Halloween, follow these simple Halloween safety tips. To learn even more about injury prevention, contact the Tyler, Texas pain physicians at Pain Recovery Center of Tyler, or visit our website at www.paincentertyler.com. You can also view our full blog article dedicated to this topic here.

Bone and Joint Health | Musculoskeletal Disorders | Tyler Texas

Bone and Joint Action Week, courtesy of the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI), is held every year from October 12-20 to help raise awareness of the many health disorders that affect millions of Americans’ bone health and joint health. It is estimated more than half - 54% - of Americans over the age of 18 years are affected by a musculoskeletal (bone and joint) disorder. These disorders include arthritis, back pain, neck pain, spinal deformity and traumatic injuries to the musculoskeletal system. Pain Recovery Center of Tyler and our two pain physicians are proud to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal disorders in patients living in the greater Tyler, Texas area.

When a musculoskeletal disorder or injury is present, a patient will experience pain, loss of joint mobility and loss of full body function. Here are a few bone and joint health facts, courtesy of the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI):

• 54% of Americans over the age of 18 years are affected by a bone and joint condition
• 33% of these Americans require medical attention for their musculoskeletal disorder
• Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common cause of physical disability and chronic pain
• An estimated $874 billion from 2009-2011 was associated with musculoskeletal disorder treatments and lost wages
• The cost of bone and joint healthcare escalated in 2011 with “Baby Boomers” and is expected to continue for decades

For more resources on bone health and joint health, or to discuss a musculoskeletal disorder with one of our pain physicians, please contact the Tyler, Texas office of Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. You can also view our full blog article dedicated to this topic here.

Pain Management Specialists | Chronic Pain | Tyler TX

Pain is often characterized in the medical community as an uncomfortable feeling that tells the body something is not right. Pain can be acute or chronic, as well as steady, throbbing, stabbing, pinching or aching. Pain often occurs after an automobile accident, work-related injury, sports injury, home injury or other traumatic event. A pain management specialist has advanced, special training in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of various types of pain, including acute pain and chronic pain. Pain Recovery Center of Tyler, serving the greater Tyler, Texas and East Texas area, specializes in pain management and has two highly trained and experienced pain management specialists available to help return patients to normal, everyday activities.

Patients experiencing chronic pain often avoid behaviors and movements that trigger the pain. While this helps eliminate some degree of pain, it creates additional muscle wasting and inflammation of the body’s soft structures. Because of this, our pain management specialists offer a multidisciplinary/multimodal treatment plan that involves pain management and physical therapy. The physical therapy rehabilitation program is designed to change learned behaviors that may have contributed to additional pain, as well as to keep the body mobile. A pain management specialist offers much more than just pain management medications. Pain specialists are able to treat various types of pain by utilizing x-rays, fluoroscopic and guided procedures in hopes of minimizing the need for long-term medications and injections.

For additional information on chronic pain, or to schedule an appointment with a pain management specialist, please contact the Tyler, Texas office of Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. You can also view our full blog article here.

Physical Therapy Month | Rehabilitation | Tyler TX

Every October, the medical community throughout the United States celebrates National Physical Therapy Month. The entire month is used to raise awareness of the numerous benefits of physical therapy and rehabilitation programs, including improvement of motion and mobility and the avoidance of surgery and addictive prescription medications. Pain Recovery Center of Tyler, located in Tyler, Texas, offers an exceptional physical therapy and rehabilitation department designed to relieve chronic pain and restore function in patients.

The 2016 campaign for National Physical Therapy Month is focused on physical therapy as a safe and effective pain management treatment instead of addictive opioids.

Since 1999, American patients have been prescribed addictive opioids at an increasing rate to manage chronic pain. Common opioid medications include Vicodin, Opana, Methodone, OxyContin and Perocet. While these prescription medications can relieve pain, many patients become addicted and experience depression, overdoses and withdrawal symptoms when stopping use.

The CDC is encouraging medical professionals to treat the true cause of chronic pain and not just mask it with prescription medications. Physical therapy is considered a safe and effective pain management alternative to opioid use. Physical therapy and rehabilitation programs are highly successful at relieving pain, improving function and increasing overall health and wellness.

For additional resources on physical therapy and rehabilitation programs to alleviate chronic pain, please contact the physicians at Pain Recovery Center of Tyler, proudly serving the greater Tyler, Texas communities. You can also view our entire blog article dedicated to this topic here.

Acute Injury | Chronic Injury | Tyler Texas

While exercising and engaging in athletic activities is beneficial to patients, certain patients may experience a sports injury from acute trauma or chronic overuse. Sports injuries are often caused by overuse, poor training practices, not enough training and not warming up and/or stretching before and after sports activities. Although many patients in the Tyler, Texas area experience sports injuries, some of these patients do not understand the difference of an acute injury vs. a chronic injury. The pain physicians at Pain Recovery Center of Tyler are available to diagnose and treat a variety of sports injuries so patients can return to the game. 

Acute Injury

An acute injury is classified as a sudden injury caused during a traumatic event, such as a fall while jogging or colliding with another player during football. Some of the most common acute injuries include a strained back, sprained ankle, swollen muscles, fractures and dislocations. 

Chronic Injury

A chronic injury, also known as an overuse injury, is caused by overuse and repetitive stress to the body during athletic activities. Chronic injuries occur gradually and often cause milder symptoms compared to acute injuries. Because of the mild symptoms, many patients ignore the signs of injury and continue exercising or competing. Common chronic injuries include stress fractures, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, rotator cuff impingement and shin splints. 

For additional resources on an acute injury vs. a chronic injury, please contact the Tyler, Texas pain physicians at Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. You can also view our entire blog article dedicated to this topic here.

Spinal Decompression | Spine Pain | Tyler Texas

Many patients with an injured spinal disc causing chronic spine pain believe back or neck surgery is the only option. It simply is not. Spinal discs have the ability to heal on their own if properly treated by a pain physician. A safe, effective and non-invasive treatment option is the DRX9000™ spinal decompression system. The DRX9000™ system achieves decompression of the injured joint space and spinal disc without painful surgery. Pain Recovery Center of Tyler, proudly serving the greater Tyler, Texas area, offers the DRX9000™ spinal decompression system designed to decompress the injured joint space and spinal disc in order to alleviate chronic back pain or neck pain.

Nonsurgical spinal decompression works by gently stretching the spine over an extended period of time, changing the forces and position of the spine. This change takes pressure off the injured spinal disc. As a result, many patients will experience alleviated spine pain associated with their injury. For example, a patient affected by a bulging or herniated disc will often experience relief from retraction of the injured disc. Spinal decompression takes pressure off the nerves and other critical structures in the spine, promoting movement of water, oxygen and nutrient-rich fluids into the injured disc in order to promote healthy healing.

For more resources on the DRX9000™ spinal decompression system, or to determine the cause of your spine pain, please contact the Tyler, Texas pain physicians at Pain Recovery Center of Tyler. You can also view our entire blog article dedicated to this topic here.