When Should You Seek a Pain Doctor?
People can be stubborn by nature. It isn’t uncommon for medical professionals to see patients who have been experiencing chronic pain for quite some time but have been treating it at home with over-the-counter medications. However, there are some warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored. Around the country and right here in Arizona, pain specialists can talk with you about your chronic pain and help make your life a little easier.
You should seek out a pain doctor if you are experiencing any of the following:
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You can’t sleep. If your physical pain is keeping you from experiencing a good night’s sleep, it is time to seek out a pain specialist. Most acute aches will go away after a period of rest, but chronic pain can persist causing extensive sleeplessness and affecting other areas of your life.
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You are over 50. While many people lament the aging process as a time of aching joints and other chronic pain, it is particularly important to seek medical care after the age of 50 if you’re experiencing pain. As we age, we experience changes in our physiology that will affect muscles, bones and joints. Ignoring symptoms can create larger problems down the road.
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You’ve been in an accident. Automobile and slip-and-fall accidents can be major contributors to chronic pain. Injuries at the time of the accident may have gone undetected but if they continue to be untreated the pain can become a lifelong problem. Seek out a pain specialist to determine the cause and treatment for this type of pain.
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You have pain radiating down one leg. Sciatica is a common but extremely painful chronic condition. If you are experiencing this very specific symptom you should seek out treatment before the condition progresses too much.
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You have more pain when you flex or bend. Often, if pain is acute bending and stretching can help relax the muscles and ease the pain. If bending or flexing is more painful it may mean the condition is chronic and will require additional treatments to allow for a full range of motion.
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Your pain doesn’t go away. If you have been experiencing pain for an extended period of time it may be important to see a physician to understand if the symptoms are chronic or acute. The longer you wait to seek treatment the more difficult it may be to solve the problem. If your pain has lasted longer than three weeks, consider speaking to a professional.
Wherever you are in the country, from Maine to Arizona, Pain Specialists are available to talk to you about your chronic pain symptoms and work with you to develop treatment options and solutions to improve your quality of life.
Specialties //
Pain Doctors
Did you know that one in four people in the U.S. struggle with chronic pain every single day? That’s 25% of the population!
If you are one of that 25%, or know someone who is, there is hope. We have highly qualified pain doctors who can help you or someone you love beat chronic pain and get back to a normal, happy life.
You can expect the pain doctor and his or her staff will treat you the way the same way as his or her own mom or dad.
Most importantly, our doctors are:
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Are board certified, interventional, and fellowship trained doctors specializing in pain management.
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Administer proper doses of medication. Medications are a tool, but not the only tool.
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Recommend lifestyle changes for diet and exercise.
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Offer complementary medicines and treatments to attack your pain from every angle.
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Have psychological and behavioral services available and believe in these treatments.
Our docctors use integrated and comprehensive techniques to help you get back to life. The goal of our team is to eliminate unnecessary medications and eliminate unnecessary surgery.
What Types Of Patients Does a Typical Pain Doctor Treat?
Pain, especially chronic pain, hits all different types of people, but the result for the patient is always similar —frustrating, sometimes debilitating, pain that can affect the patient’s well-being and enjoyment of life activities.
Our approach includes chiropractic care, acupuncture, behavioral therapy, and a procedure center. Our pain specialists first focus on identifying the underlying cause of the pain by asking questions and listening to the patient’s concerns. Next, the specialist puts put together a treatment plan specific to the individual patient.
Our individual treatment plans draw on traditional treatments, such as chiropractic manipulations, as well as comprehensive care programs, including massage therapy. By focusing on both traditional and alternative techniques, our specialists are able to treat both the pain itself and the patient.
Our pain doctors have experience working with patients suffering from:
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Achilles tendinitis
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Arthritis
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Bulging discs
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Carpal tunnel syndrome
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Complex regional pain syndrome
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Degeneration disc disease
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Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
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Extruded discs
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Fibromyalgia
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Hammer toe
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Headaches and migraines
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Heel spur
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Joint pain
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Motor vehicle injuries
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Osteoarthritis
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Phantom limb pain
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Piriformis syndrome
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Plantar fasciitis
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Post herpetic neuralgia
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Post laminectomy syndrome
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Prolapsed discs
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Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
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Rotator cuff tears
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Sciatica
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Scoliosis
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Shingles
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Spinal stenosis
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Trigeminal neuralgia
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Vertebral body and compression fractures
In addition to these specific complaints, our pain doctors have also treated patients with more generalized pain related to cancer and other illnesses, as well as location-specific pain in the back, shoulders, sacroiliac joint, neck, face, pelvis, hips, legs, knees and feet.
SPINAL CORD STIMULATION
Spinal cord stimulation, also called neurostimulation, directs mild electrical pulses to interfere with pain messages reaching the brain. A small device implanted near the spine generates these pulses. The implanted generator used in spinal cord stimulation has similarities to a cardiac pacemaker, leading some to call the device a pacemaker for pain.
SPORTS MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
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SPINAL INJECTIONS
There are a lot of options, and thus a lot of choices and decisions, when it comes to choosing pain injections. Epidural Steroid Injections. Medial branch nerve blocks. Radiofrequency neurotomy. Prolotherapy. It can be confusing. Each have their own purposes, risks, benefits, and side-effects. Knowing how each works gives you an advantage against your pain.
Addiction Counseling
Our substance abuse therapists are experienced experts in the field of addictions and family counseling. They stay current on the most recent scholarship and research in the addiction treatment field so that they can provide the most effective substance abuse treatment available.
In addition to holding state licenses as a Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Clinical Social Worker, many of our professionals are also Certified Addictions Counselors in the state of Colorado, which is a designation that takes several thousand hours of classes and supervised work experience to achieve.
All of the therapeutic treatment professionals at Allpria Healthcare are experts in their respective fields. Treatment professionals will typically use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing techniques to help re-train the client’s negative thought processes and help the client identify their own desire to change and start moving through the stages of the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model.
WHAT IS DRUG ADDICTION?
Drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions or a strong will. In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so. Through scientific advances, we know more about how drugs work in the brain than ever, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and lead productive lives.
PHYSICAL THERAPY
- Manual therapy, which uses the massage and manipulation of the body's soft tissues to relieve pain and promote healing
- Preparing the body before orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation after surgery
- General strength training
- Rehabilitation after a bone fracture
- Outpatient prosthetic rehabilitation, to help individuals adjust to an artificial limb or other external appliance
- Rehabilitation after a back or neck injury
- Rehabilitation after a sports injury
- Comprehensive musculoskeletal evaluation to determine the cause of and best treatment for acute or chronic pain
Addiction Treatment
Through knowledge, experience, support and compassion, we seek to restore the lives of individuals and families afflicted by this debilitating disease.
With many options for substance abuse treatment, the experience of searching for the right facility can be daunting. Our goal is to provide professional guidance and support in order to find the right program for you or your loved one.
Allpria Healthcare programs include the following:
• Highly trained, multi-disciplinary staff
• Medical and clinical coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Comprehensive treatment approach to treat the whole individual, not just the addiction
• Private facility grounds with state-of-the-art amenities
• Specialized programs with focuses on chemical dependency, trauma, co-occurring disorders, family dynamics and more
• Relapse Prevention Track, emphasizing relapse dynamics and triggers
• Extensive Continuing Care Plan
• Specialized tracks for First Responders and Work Force Professionals
Treatment Modalities
• Twelve-Step philosophy with on-site and off-site meetings
• Group Process & Individual Therapy
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training
• Psychodrama
• Psychopharmacology
• Nutritional & Fitness Consultations
• Grief & Spiritual Work
• Therapeutic & Recreational Activities Program
• Spiritual Meditation
• Integrative Therapies (e.g., Reiki, Yoga, Energy Tapping, Mindfulness Meditation, etc.)
• Family Program
• Creative Arts Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Relapse Prevention Track, emphasizing relapse dynamics and triggers
• Extensive Continuing Care Plan
MINDFULNESS TRAINING
Mindfulness training helps individuals with a range of addictions from alcohol to cocaine to nicotine dependence. In fact, one randomized clinical trial found that it was twice as good as gold standard treatment (American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking) in helping people quit and stay quit.