There's nothing as bad as dealing with chronic pain. It affects your ability to move freely and effectively conduct day-to-day activities such as going to work or exercising. Another thing about chronic pain is that it's difficult to do away with it by taking over-the-counter painkillers. It requires you to visit a pain management clinic to help you navigate around the problem and have the ability to conduct various activities with ease. These clinics are professional health facilities with nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, and psychological and physical therapists who focus on diagnosing and managing chronic pain. This piece lists different services to expect when visiting a pain management clinic. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

It makes logical sense that various kinds of pain result from how your body feels physically. However, psychological aspects, such as trauma, trigger physical pain or make you think about it more than you should, affecting your ability to function properly. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps to deal with psychological triggers of physical pain. A pain management therapist guides you through sessions that identify negative thoughts and behaviors contributing to the pain and teaches you how to replace them with positive ones. For instance, they guide you through psychological pain management techniques such as meditation, cognitive restructuring, and mindfulness. You should expect CBT if you're experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions due to chronic pain.

Specialized Medication 

Pain management requires specialized medication that works better than over-the-counter painkillers. So, when visiting a pain management clinic, you should expect various prescriptions. Common examples of specialized medication include anticonvulsants, opioids, analgesics, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants. Each one has a unique function depending on the type of pain you're having. For example, opioids are strong pain relievers for chronic pain from cancer treatment or surgery. On the other hand, a therapist recommends anticonvulsants to manage chronic pain resulting from seizures.

Massages 

Another thing about pain management clinics is that not all kinds of pain require medication. Sometimes massage therapy is all you need. It involves a hands-on treatment that aims to manipulate your body's soft tissues, like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. Massage reduces muscle tension, improves blood flow, and promotes relaxation. Pain management clinics recommend different types of massage depending on the source and type of chronic pain you're experiencing. They also combine medication and other physical therapies to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment.

Take Away

You should expect multiple effective services from a pain management clinic, including weight loss and dietary recommendations, exercises, and hot and cold packs. Contact a local pain management clinic to learn more. 

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