Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia

Everyone experiences pain on a daily basis. Pain is usually your body warning you that something is wrong, either in the form of illness or injury. When the injury has healed, the pain tends to go away. Unfortunately, some people develop a form of pain that continues for months at a time. If you experience pain that lasts for three to six months (more), you are experiencing chronic pain. Chronic pain quickly takes its toll on your physical and mental health. If you are searching for chronic pain treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia please keep reading.

What are the different kinds of pain?

Millions of people in the United States suffer from chronic pain every day. One of the hardest parts of chronic pain is the fact that your pain is imperceptible to most people, so your close loved ones have difficulty seeing that you are in pain. Chronic pain, unfortunately, tends to bring about not just physical pain, but also emotional and psychological pain. Cases of chronic pain differ greatly between people, but generally, fall into a few categories:

• Acute Pain/Short-Term Pain: This pain usually indicates a disease or a physical injury within the body. It can be an important signal of wounds, infections, burns, or other injuries, and helps the body protect itself. Acute pain can last anywhere up to 12 weeks (depending on the cause of the pain). Once the cause has been treated, the pain will usually go away on its own. It is important to remember that acute pain is a symptom, but chronic pain is a disease in its own right.

• Chronic Pain/Long-Term Pain: There are two essential categories pain can be divided into nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain is when signals are sent to the brain after an injury. Neuropathic pain is a result of damage to the nervous system itself. Chronic pain may exist even long after the injury has healed. The nervous system will incorrectly signal to the brain that there is pain, when there is actually no injury present anymore. Chronic pain can last months or even years. 

• Nerve Pain/Neuropathic Pain: Quite a few events or conditions can cause nerve damage. Neuropathic pain directly affects how pain signals are sent to the brain. If unrepaired, nerve damage can lead to long-time neuropathic chronic pain.

• Localized Nerve/Neuropathic: Most nerve conditions are localized to a specific part of the body. Infections and surgeries both can create localized nerve damage that in turn will create long-term/chronic pain. The origins of localized neuropathic pain can be hard to trace, so make sure to inform your doctor if you have had an infection or surgery in the area your chronic pain is stemming from.

What are the symptoms of chronic pain?

Chronic pain can affect your emotional wellbeing, temperament and mood, and even your personal relationships over time. Oftentimes, you will develop other symptoms in addition to the pain. Symptoms may include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Feelings of guilt
• Irritability
• Loss of interest in hobbies or sex
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Marital or familial conflict
• Suicidal ideation

Unfortunately, some people suffering from chronic pain grow dependent on their pain medication and will need to take more and more each time to feel relief.

Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS)

Around 25% of people suffering from chronic pain also have a condition called chronic pain syndrome (CPS). This is characterized by the addition of symptoms beyond just pain, such as depression, and anxiety. CPS can be difficult to find treatment for, but relief from symptoms is still possible with the right treatments. Physical therapy, counseling, medications, or IV Ketamine Infusions can help relieve symptoms of chronic pain and the depression it sometimes brings.

Symptoms of Chronic Pain Syndrome

• Joint pain
• Burning Pain
• Muscle ache
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Loss of flexibility
• Loss of stamina
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritability

Causes of Chronic Pain Syndrome

Conditions marked by widespread and long-lasting pain are typically linked to Chronic Pain Syndrome. These conditions may include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: An autoimmune disease that brings powerful inflammation at the joints.

• Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis that usually comes from wear and tears on the body.

• Fibromyalgia: A neurological condition that creates pain and tenderness in trigger points across the body

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract that produces intestinal cramping. 

• Advanced Cancer

• Back Pain

• Surgical Trauma

Even after some of these conditions improve through treatment, some people may still have chronic pain. This is usually a miscommunication between the nervous system and the brain.

Ketamine for Chronic Pain Treatment

Ketamine was first developed and approved by the FDA as an anesthetic, but it has been used as a painkiller for decades. While you may know it as the club drug often abused as Special K, Ketamine is what some doctors are calling the biggest breakthrough in depression and pain treatment in decades. When infused at a low dose into the bloodstream, research indicates that Ketamine may be up to 80% effective at treating the symptoms of pain and depression.

One benefit to Ketamine Infusions for chronic pain management is its ability to sometimes bring relief to symptoms within minutes or hours, rather than the weeks or months medication or physical therapy can take. 

Contact us today of you are looking for chronic pain treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia. Learn more.