Living with Unexplainable Pain:
Many people seek medical attention every year for unexplainable pain. They do not know what is wrong with them and they cannot specifically pinpoint the location, but they are in pain and they need help. That is often the case with people seeking long term pain management. Many routes of relief may have already been attempted through a general practitioner but patients still find themselves having more than an acceptable amount of pain on a regular basis. When a patient gets to this point it is time for Commonwealth Pain Specialists to intervene. We understand that pain does not just happen on its own. We understand that pain can affect every part of your life. We are here to resolve your pain and restore your quality of life.
Looking for Clues
Like detectives looking for clues to solve a case, our anesthesiologists are subject matter experts when it comes to pain, and they will investigate your case until they have solved the mystery. The diagnosis process involves three simple steps that allow your specialist to reveal much of the information needed to resolve your pain.
Getting a patient history is an important step that can often be taken for granted. Answering basic questions about your family health, your diet and exercise routines, your daily activities, and what you were doing when the pain first started can help your specialist narrow down the options of potential pain-causing culprits.
Diagnostic imaging (DI) is very helpful in identifying and eliminating possible causes of pain. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a favored method of DI. An MRI is able to scan the entire body, or specified area, quickly and identify swelling or abnormalities in the skeletal structures as well as the muscle and vascular tissues. Depending on the types of findings in the MRI, an ultrasound may be ordered to directly visualize the potential problem areas found in the MRI report. Used together, this type of imaging is very effective at isolating the area from which the pain is originating.
The final step in the diagnosis process is the physical exam performed by your specialist. Like any basic doctor’s visit, your exam will include checking your vital signs and evaluating your level of pain during your visit. In addition, your specialist will evaluate your mobility; to include your posture, strength, agility, reflexes, and balance. You will answer of series of activity based questions to determine what does and does not aggravate your pain.
Putting It All Together
Once all of these steps have been completed, your specialist will evaluate all of the information that has been gathered. Oftentimes, your physical evaluation will show signs that confirm what the DI has already identified as a possible cause of pain. While not every patient’s case is this easy, under most circumstances, the root cause of your pain can be narrowed down to very few options which will then allow your specialist to determine the best method of treatment to get you feeling better in no time.
