Pain Therapy
Reduce daily burden and thereby improve physical performance and well-being.
Pain Therapy
Pain is a common symptom of many diseases serving the function of warning our bodies of impending physical damage or draw our attention to existing damage. However, persistent or chronic pain can become a disease in itself, if acute pain does not subside despite appropriate treatment.
Acute pain can usually be relieved quickly once the cause has been clarified (e.g. sprained ankle, inflamed appendix, broken leg). The treatment of chronic pain poses a greater challenge for patients and practitioners.
The Effects of Chronic Pain
If pain persists for months or years after the initial illness or accident, the pain influences many aspects of daily living. The body's ability to function and perform is diminished (biological). Private and professional relationships change over time (social). Emotional well-being and quality of life may become diminished or worsen (psychological). Reduced performance and altered interpersonal relationships intensify the pain experienced. The result is a vicious cycle that may require therapeutic intervention to resolve.
Individualized Therapeutic Approaches
The causes and effects of chronic pain vary considerably between patients and the different aspects of life are affected to varying degrees. Individualized therapy takes these differences into account and is based on the bio-psycho-social model of chronic pain (multimodal therapy).
The treatment plan requires a detailed medical history, a physical examination and a discussion of previous examinations. Assessments by various specialist disciplines is often necessary (interdisciplinary) in order to fully understand the type of pain.
The Treatment of Chronic Pain May Comprise the Following:
- Medication
- Manual medicine
- Involvement of other specialist disciplines
- Education to understand the disease mechanisms
- Development of strategies to improve individual manamgent of chronic pain
- Infiltrations
- Neuromodulatory therapy for
- Persistent postoperative pain (PPP)
- Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I and type II
- Polyneuropathy
- Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD)
- Angina pectoris (AP)
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Cluster headache
- Implantation of morphine pumps for cancer pain
Aim of Chronic Pain Management
The aim of treating chronic pain is to reduce the various strains in everyday life, as well as to improve physical performance and thereby overall well-being. Often, it is no longer possible to achieve complete freedom from pain, if pain has persisted for years. Education to implement strategies to deal with (residual) pain are a main therapeutic goal. The treatment actively involves patients to achieve their personal goals under the guidance of experienced pain therapists.
Further information about the origin and management of chronic pain can be found in various languages on the “Retrain Pain” website: