Do you experience chronic pain? Do you have an illness or injury that makes it difficult to move around without experiencing pain or discomfort? At the Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicine in Dothan, AL, our pain management therapy options can help you.
What Should You Expect From Pain Management Therapy?
Experiencing pain is never fun, but experiencing chronic pain can be an incredibly frustrating and challenging experience. Chronic pain can make it impossible to do the things in life that you love doing, and it can make you feel alienated from your loved ones.
If you are experiencing chronic pain for any number of reasons, your doctor might recommend that you visit a specialist, like Dr. Gregory Thompson and his team. The idea of going to pain management therapy can feel overwhelming and frightening, but trust that you’re in good hands when you come to our clinic. Here, we’ll discuss what your experience with us might be like.
Before You Come to Our Clinic
Before you even set foot in our clinic, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to what your pain symptoms are. Monitor and track them by writing down when you’re experiencing them, where you’re experiencing them, and if there are any specific times of day when the pain is more prominent than others.
By doing this, you’ll be able to give Dr. Thompson a clear picture of your pain. Having this will help determine what an effective treatment plan for you will look like.
Your Consultation
Before beginning with your therapy, we’ll sit down with you for a consultation. This is an important part of the process since it helps us get to know your individual needs. This is when it will come in handy to have all your symptoms tracked and written down.
There’s no denying that any appointment with a doctor can feel a little nerve-wracking. Having everything you need to share written down will make sure that you don’t forget anything. During the consultation, we’ll also discuss how long you’ve been experiencing pain, what your daily routine is like, if you have other health conditions, and how you currently deal with your pain.
Physical Examination
While you’re at your consultation, we may need to perform a physical examination. This will help us get a better idea of how your pain is impacting your day-to-day life.
To perform your physical examination, we may apply gentle pressure to the areas where you are experiencing pain. We might also move specific parts of your body to see how the pain might be affecting your mobility. We’ll also be on the lookout for any swelling or stiffness in these areas.
Your Treatment
Once we’ve determined what kind of pain you’re experiencing and where you’re feeling it, we can set you up with an individualized treatment plan. Throughout the entire treatment process, we will closely monitor your results to make sure that your therapy continues to be effective for your needs.
At our clinic, Dr. Thompson may use a couple of different therapies depending on what your pain is. At the time of your consultation, he will help you determine which type of therapy is right for your pain and lifestyle. Regardless of the type of therapy, you’ll appreciate how effective your results are.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment
Dr. Thompson specializes in osteopathic medicine. One type of treatment that he may provide you with, depending on your specific pain, is osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT. This is a highly effective way of treating and managing pain caused by illness or injury.
Dr. Thompson understands how closely connected all of your body’s internal systems are. He is highly trained in this treatment technique, which uses hand manipulation to start up your body’s natural healing processes and help them work more effectively. OMT will help you feel less pain in your daily life, and you should also find that you regain a significant amount of mobility.
Platelet Rich Plasma
Another treatment option that Dr. Thompson may use to help you manage your pain is platelet-rich plasma or PRP. Stem cell therapy is also an option. These types of therapy involve injecting formulas into your blood that will help stimulate your body’s natural healing processes.
PRP injections are super effective at stopping pain and helping to reduce the amount of swelling that you might be experiencing from an injury. This therapy is particularly effective if you have any chronic pain due to soft-tissue injuries. It also stimulates collagen production, which will help strengthen your body’s tissues.
After Your Appointment
You will likely need follow-up appointments after your initial treatment. During these follow-up appointments, we’ll continue to monitor your symptoms to make sure your treatment is effective. If needed, we will modify your therapy to ensure that it continues to be as useful as possible for you.
It’s a good idea to continue keeping a pain journal and monitoring your symptoms at home. If you have any concerns or questions about the treatment and your treatment plan, don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Thompson and his team.
What Are the Benefits of Pain Management Therapy?
If you experience chronic pain, whether it’s due to an injury or other health condition, then finding someone to help treat your pain is important. You shouldn’t have to live with pain and discomfort forever. Here are some benefits that you’ll get when you receive pain management treatments at our clinic.
Reduce Pain
Of course, the number one thing that you can expect from your therapy is a reduction in pain. No matter how severe your pain is in your day-to-day life, any amount of chronic pain can make doing the things you live incredibly difficult.
Whether Dr. Thompson determines PRP, OMT, or some other type of management is right for you, he’ll make sure that you get lasting results and that you can live a happy, healthy, pain-free life.
Provide Education
One of the most frustrating things about chronic pain is not understanding why it’s happening. If you feel a lot of pain in your daily life and you don’t understand what exactly is causing the pain or why it won’t go away, then that can make the experience even more challenging.
Part of getting any type of therapy or treatment for chronic pain is educating the patient on why they’re having this pain in the first place. Understanding pain will help you understand your treatment options and help you feel more confident in your decision to come to us.
Help You Manage Pain at Home
Getting management from our clinic is only part of the battle. While our OMT and PRP treatments will offer you highly effective and lasting ways of managing your pain, it’s just as important to know ways to manage your pain at home.
If you need any assistance in finding effective ways to maintain your results at home, we’ll make sure that you leave our clinic with all the advice you need.
Higher Ability to Function
Having chronic pain doesn’t just hurt. It also impairs your overall ability to function during your day-to-day life. You’ll probably find it hard to go out and do activities that you like to do. It can also be incredibly challenging to perform simple daily tasks if you are constantly feeling pain.
Our PRP and OMT treatments will help you regain your ability to function properly and without pain in your daily life. These treatments will help your body heal itself naturally, and you’ll find your mobility increases as your pain reduces.
Boost Confidence
One surprising side effect of chronic pain is its impact on your self-esteem. As your chronic pain goes on, you’ll likely notice a decrease in confidence. Not being able to do the things that other people seem to be able to do easily can have a massive impact on the way you see yourself.
One great reason to get therapy for your pain at our clinic is that as your body heals, you’ll be able to perform all these tasks again. This will be a huge boost to your confidence.
Learn More Today
If you experience chronic pain, then looking for effective pain management therapies will help. Our clinic is ready to offer you treatment that is both lasting and effective. Are you ready to learn more? Get in touch with us today at the Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicine in Dothan, AL.