For most people, medication is the first and most obvious form of treatment when they are suffering with severe or chronic pain. However, for those recovering from addiction, certain medications, especially opioid drugs, must be avoided at all costs. These medications could threaten to put someone’s recovery in jeopardy, and many would rather continue to suffer with the pain than risk this. But they don’t have to. For those who want to maintain their sobriety, pain clinics, like Utah-based KindlyMD could be the answer.
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What is a Pain Clinic?
Pain clinics are special facilities to which patients are often referred when dealing with chronic pain that is not responding to medication. Or as in the case above, where a different type of treatment is required in order to allow the patient to remain sober.
Pain clinics are staffed by a team of professional doctors with extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Just like other doctors, pain doctors are fully trained medical professionals but they have gone on to specialize in pain. This makes them the best people to help those who have been dealing with ongoing pain or severe pain that is not responding to traditional treatments such as medication.
How Can a Pain Doctor Help an Addict with Chronic Pain?
Patients who attend a pain clinic can expect to be give a lengthy consultation at their first visit. This gives the pain doctors the chance to learn more about the type of pain they are dealing with. The doctor will ask questions about the severity of the pain, where it is located, and how long they have had it. They will also want to know about things that trigger the pain or if there is anything that makes the pain worse.
Sometimes patients are advised to create a pain journal in the weeks before their first visit. This allows them to document their pain each day, giving the doctors more information about what is going on.
For recovering addicts, questions will also be asked about the person’s addiction and their recovery. The doctor will want to make sure that any treatment provided for the pain will be appropriate for the individual.
The good news is that pain doctors have a lot of weapons in their arsenal. While for some patients, medication-assisted treatment is a common approach, for others, particularly those who are frightened of putting their recovery at risk, alternative treatments are more appropriate.
Psychological and behavioral therapy often make up a part of a recovering addict’s treatment plan at a pain clinic. This is because individuals who have experienced addiction often suffer with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In fact, these mental health problems are quite common in anyone with chronic pain, regardless of whether they are in recovery or not. Therapy can, however, be particularly useful for recovering addicts because it helps them to manage the emotions that might trigger their substance abuse. It also helps them to develop more positive behaviors.
At pain clinics, there are many other types of treatment, including holistic therapies. These are designed to treat the whole person and help improve mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. These treatments include the likes of:
- yoga
- acupuncture
- meditation
- massage
- acupressure.
Conclusion
Pain clinics are often a lifeline for recovering addicts suffering with chronic or severe pain. These clinics give them the opportunity to overcome their pain without resorting to strong medication that could put their addiction recovery at risk. In a pain clinic, patients may be treated with a variety of non-medication methods, including psychotherapy, physical therapy, and holistic therapies.