One of the tools in our arsenal for combating pain issues is a large variety of pain medications.
We prescribe medication to our patients as part of a comprehensive pain management approach, along with other therapeutic treatment, like physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, massage therapy, social and psychological services and acupuncture.
Many times our patients’ pain level is reduced significantly with over-the-counter pain relievers. Over-the-counter drugs are a great option, as they tend to be inexpensive and widely available. However, even over-the-counter pain relief needs management as they are not without side effects.
When over-the-counter analgesics are not effective, we often turn to different classes of prescription pain medications. Unfortunately, certain pain medications can become addictive. Addiction to pain medication ultimately negates the positive aspects of pain relief.
At Michigan Spine & Pain, we are committed to responsible medication use. The way to accomplish this is through honest partnership with our patients as well as the pharmacists in our community.
Our goals are simple:
- We want our patients to have access to effective medication which relieves acute and chronic pain.
- We want to be responsible members of the health care community, ensuring that our patients utilize the medications in the manner they are prescribed and only in the prescribed amounts.
We are conservative in prescribing pain relief medication, working first to make sure other modalities aren’t effective on their own. We also rely on our patients’ truthful input, telling us how much pain they are in, how effective various pain relief treatments are as well as what side effects, if any, they are experiencing.
There is no one size-fits all solution for pain. All pain relief requires a team approach. An integral component of that team approach is the relationship between the patients and the members of the health care providers.
