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Chronic Pain Q & A

What causes chronic pain?

Chronic pain is defined as persistent pain that lasts longer than three months. Sometimes it’s hard to identify the source of chronic pain, because it can develop from an injury that healed long ago.

Underlying diseases, such as arthritis and cancer, frequently lead to chronic pain. Some people develop ongoing pain after surgery. One of the most common causes is lower back pain, which often arises from disc herniation and nerve compression.

How is chronic pain treated?

Treatment for chronic pain is always designed to meet each person’s health needs. It may include physical therapy, medications, and interventional procedures to target and eliminate the source of your pain. A few examples of minimally-invasive interventional procedures include:

 

Pain Management Doctor Dipan Patel, MD

What is an intrathecal pain pump?

An intrathecal pain pump delivers medication directly to your spinal cord. Your doctor at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics inserts a small pump under the skin of your abdomen. The pump holds medication, which is sent through a catheter placed in the intrathecal space surrounding your spinal cord.

By delivering medication directly into cerebrospinal fluid in the intrathecal space, you get significant pain relief with a small amount of medication. An intrathecal pump can help you reduce or eliminate oral medications, so you avoid side effects.  

What can you expect from opioid management?

Opioid medications are commonly prescribed following surgery and for patients with debilitating chronic pain. While opioids may be the best option for a period of time, they can’t be used over the long term due to side effects, the need for ever-increasing doses, and the risk of overdose.

The doctors at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics offer pain treatment options that can eliminate the need for opioids. They work with you to develop a treatment plan in which they gradually taper your opioid dose while managing your pain and preventing withdrawal symptoms.

Can medicinal marijuana relieve chronic pain?

The active ingredients in marijuana, cannabinoids, interact with nerves in ways that stop pain signals reaching the brain. They may also have an anti-inflammatory effect. As a result, medicinal marijuana diminishes chronic pain, often relieving pain and inflammation in conditions that don’t respond to other treatments, such as neuropathic pain.

Garden State Pain and Orthopedics is a group of Orthopedic and Pain Management Physicians located in Clifton, Edison, Hazlet, West Orange, and Jersey City who have provided the highest quality healthcare since 1994. Garden State Pain & Orthopedics is on the cutting edge of technology in pain medicine with expertise across diverse pain conditions and treatment modalities, including interventional pain techniques, minimally-invasive surgeries, medical management, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and behavioral therapy. You can schedule an appointment with their pain doctors by selecting the “Book Now” button. 




Locations:

 

Clifton

Address: 1117 Route 46 East, Suite 301, Clifton, NJ 07013

Phone: 973-777-5444

 

Edison

Address: 25 South Main Street, Suite 12, Edison, NJ 08837

Phone: 732-376-0330

 

Jersey City

Address: 631 Grand Street, Suite 2-100, Jersey City, NJ 07304

Phone: 973-777-5444

 

West Orange

Address: 443 Northfield Ave West Orange, NJ 07052

Phone: 732-376-0330



Hazlet

Address: 226 Middle Road, Suite 4, Hazlet, NJ 07730 

Phone: 732-376-0330