Qualities you should look for in a pain management clinic

Any pain can be difficult to bear, especially for those who are not able to find relief with common home remedies. For them, the viable option is to visit a pain clinic.

A pain clinic is a healthcare facility that focuses on the diagnosis and management of patients with chronic pain. A pain clinic can diagnose and treat pains related to any specific region of the body.  

While deciding on which pain clinic would be best suited, patients and their family members must look for a few qualities in a pain clinic before booking an appointment.

Pain Care Specialist 

The pain care specialist is the key person who is going to treat the patient. The specialist must be one who can easily identify the cause and prescribe the remedy. He should be one with special medical training and should be patient enough to listen to the patient discussing his problem. 

He should also be empathetic and should make the patient feel comfortable. The patient should be able to trust his specialist and should be able to completely rely on his treatments. Also, the specialist will be the one who will coordinate with other care facilities, including therapies, rehabilitation, and counselling. So, he should have the skills necessary for successful coordination.

Pain Care Team

Pain Management is not only about an orthopedic doctor prescribing a few doses of medicine. It is a lot more than that. Hence, a complete team needs to be involved in pain management. An ideal team should have the following members –

• Nurses and other doctors
• Psychologists
• Physical therapists
• Occupational and vocational therapists
• Nutritionists and dieticians

While nurses and doctors will help in the primary treatment, physical therapists are the people who will help the patient if any therapy is suggested to the patient by the doctor. 

Often patients need a change in lifestyle and may need to change how they function at work. Occupational and vocational therapists can help with this. If the patient is emotionally stressed or frustrated due to pain, they may need help from the psychologist. 

There is also a need for patients to maintain healthy food habits. Unhealthy food habits can cause acidity, bloating and other problems that often trigger pain. A Nutritionist and a dietician can help the patient plan his diet which can be helpful in managing pain.

Complementary Therapy Facilities

Pain management often involves going for some complementary therapies. In addition to medicine, there may be a need to go for a lifestyle change or need to go for some physical, behavioral, and psychological therapies.

A pain clinic where all facilities are available under one umbrella can be suitable for this. The desirable facilities should be – 

• Acupuncture – a form of treatment that involves inserting pins in the specific areas for pain reduction
• Biofeedback – a mind-body technique that involves using visual or auditory feedback to gain control of body functions.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy – Required for those who are emotionally stressed out or frustrated with pain management
• Water therapy – Use of water to revitalise, detoxify and oxygenate the body can also reduce pain.
• Massage – Massaging the pain area by a trained therapist can help in the reduction of pain
• Meditation – Meditation calms the mind and also the body and can help patients with pain 

Choose a pain clinic in Spokane WA that ticks all the above boxes. 

Conclusion

Before visiting a pain clinic, it is essential to ensure that the clinic is having all the desired qualities so that patients feel confident and at ease when it comes to entrusting their health management to them.