What conditions cause chronic pain?
Dozens of conditions can cause chronic pain, but some of the most common include:
Arthritis
Arthritis triggers changes in your joints, which can cause chronic pain in nearly any part of your body. It may cause chronic pain in your back, shoulder, hip, knee, wrist, and anywhere you have joints.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia causes bodywide pain that’s often worse in specific areas like your lower back, shoulder, hip, arm, leg, chest, and jaw.
Chronic headaches
Chronic headaches cause the obvious head pain and can also trigger neck and upper shoulder pain.
Muscle spasms
Muscle spasms are involuntary muscle contractions that can happen nearly anywhere in your body. They’re especially common in the back and neck.
Trigger points
Trigger points are tiny knots of tight muscle fibers within a muscle. They’re incredibly painful and often multiply around injuries. Trigger points are often a factor in neck pain, back pain, and conditions like fibromyalgia.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is nerve pain that stems from either a disease like diabetes or nerve damage within your peripheral or central nervous system. The pain can occur in your back, neck, legs, jaw, or nearly anywhere in the body.
Chronic pain can stem from many other causes, including injury, illness, and poor healing after surgery. Regardless of the cause, Dr. Hess has pain solutions for you at his practice.
What is the best treatment approach for chronic pain?
In his 30 years of interventional pain management and anesthesia experience, Dr. Hess determined that the most effective solution for chronic pain is a three-part approach. Your treatment typically includes:
- Procedures for lasting relief
- Functional care to repair and strengthen painful areas
- Psychological treatments that recognize the mind-body connection
With all three components, you can expect true recovery, rather than a quick fix.
How do pain relief treatments work?
Dr. Hess recommends the right treatment for you, which may include:
Injections
Anesthesia, anti-inflammatory, and/or steroid injections can relieve pain for weeks or months.
Radiofrequency ablation
Radiofrequency ablation renders a painful nerve inactive using heat or cold energy. It can last up to 24 months.
Regenerative medicine
Stem-cell and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments stimulate natural tissue regeneration, which can greatly reduce pain.
Spinal cord stimulators
Spinal cord stimulators mask pain signals, changing them, so your brain doesn’t perceive pain. They’re permanent medical devices that you recharge easily at home.
Request an appointment online or call Carl A. Hess, MD, to arrange your appointment today.
info@carlhessmd.com
