Chronic Pain Management

Chronic pain management is a treatment for effectively dealing with chronic pain defined as: persistent or recurrent pain that has lasted for a significant amount of time, causing difficulty sleeping, working and being social. The typical chronic pain management client has been suffering from their condition for more than a decade, and takes medication up to four times per day.

Chronic pain management should allow clients to return to a normal way of life.  Many physicians will ask patients to keep daily records of their pain, allowing the physician to monitor whether or not the drug is actually working, and to address situations involving physical dependence, tolerance or addiction.

Chronic Pain Management Treatment Plans

A chronic pain management treatment plan, created between a physician and a patient, can include several different types of treatment which can include: physical, injection and psychological therapies, electronic stimulation, acupuncture and medications. Chronic pain management medications can be over-the-counter, topical, antidepressant and opioid medications, such as morphine or oxycodone. Use of opioids as a chronic pain management treatment has come into question over the last several years, due to concerns about addiction, physical dependence and tolerance.

Lakeview Health Systems can help answer your questions about chronic pain management and the risks involved with opioid treatments.  Call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-657-4357.

Chronic Pain Management and Physical Dependence

Vicodin is the most popular opioid among chronic pain management clients and many may become physically dependent to the drug requiring opiate detox. This means the body becomes used to the opioids and reducing or stopping the drug can cause withdrawal symptoms. Physical dependence differs from addiction in that addiction is a compulsive seeking behavior and the person is using the drug despite negative consequences of the drug abuse.

Chronic Pain Management and Tolerance

Those in chronic pain management treatment may also experience tolerance, when the effectiveness of a drug levels out in the body requiring taking higher doses of the drug to achieve the same relief.  Again, this is not equivalent to addiction.

Chronic Pain Management and Addiction

Addiction to a drug used for chronic pain management can happen.  Addictive behavior can be identified as:

• Compulsive use or preoccupation with taking the drug
• Having excess prescriptions or "stocking up"
• Having more than one physician or pharmacist to supply the drug
• Spending resources on the drug
• Selling the drug
• Turning the drug into powder form for injection or snorting

If you or someone you love has an addiction to prescription medication due to chronic pain management, Lakeview Health Systems can help.  Our addiction programs are nationally-recognized, offering relief and recovery. Call us at 1-800-657-4357. All calls are toll-free and strictly confidential.