Widespread Chronic Pain
Medical definitions don’t have a “cure” for chronic pain. But there are treatments and medications that may make pain more manageable.
New technologies that focus on alleviating suffering range from holistic treatments to acupuncture and embrace surgery and electromagnetic stimulation and pumps.
Some treatment methods currently being used:
1) Blocking: Using X-rays for observation, physicians inject numbing medication to dampen or stop chronic pain. The injections can be in any location and depend on the type of pain and body part, with the nerves sending signals to the area causing the pain targeted. Unfortunately, this technique is temporary, and it’s likely a regular regimen of injections may be needed, particularly with cancer.
2) Radio Waves: Radiofrequency ablation is a process where a physician heats a nerve believed to be causing pain, in effect short-circuiting its connection. The effects on the nerve are usually observed with a CT scan. While this is a longer-lasting form of treatment, it’s also not permanent but can bring relief up to a year.
3) Spinal Cord Stimulation – Physicians insert a pacemaker-like device to stimulate nerves. This produces a tingling or massage-like feeling instead of pain. Treatment is usually used in the lower back, with wires attached to the spine. The benefit is control -- the patient uses a remote-controlled device to adjust the stimulation to higher settings if they reach a certain threshold of pain.
4) Electric Signals. Physicians insert an electrical nerve stimulator under the skin and send low-voltage signals through pads. This interrupts signals to the brain and produces endorphins, enhancing a patient’s feeling of well-being.