If you or a loved one struggles with chronic pain or symptoms related to a serious illness, it can be difficult to know how to find the best support. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources you can turn to — you might just not be aware of them yet!
Let’s take a look at some common treatment options for chronic pain, so you can determine what may be a good next step for you, your loved one, and your family.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for three or more months and is often difficult to treat. In most cases, it’s a side effect of an underlying chronic condition like cancer, fibromyalgia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there are also occasions where the cause for chronic pain is unknown.
What’s more, “pain” is a broad term that can mean many different things — from constant, dull aches to sharp, neuropathic twinges, and more. Whatever the feeling may be, chronic pain hurts, and continues to cause pain to the point where it interferes with your daily life, responsibilities, and activities.
How Is Chronic Pain Diagnosed?
Diagnosis for chronic pain usually starts with a scheduled visit to your doctor. Your doctor may ask you to recount any recent illnesses or injuries that may have started the pain, and then they may ask you a number of questions to describe the pain you’re experiencing, including:
- Where on your body does it hurt?
- What does the pain feel like (aching, throbbing, sharp, shooting, burning, etc.)?
- How severe is your pain on a scale from 1-10?
- Is there anything that seems to make your pain better or worse?
Based on your answers, your doctor may then run a few different tests, such as bloodwork, x-rays, CTs, or MRIs. These tests could help determine the cause of your pain, if there is a particular one. From there, your doctor will provide a diagnosis, whether it be specific to a certain condition or an unknown chronic pain.
5 Common Treatment Options for Chronic Pain
Once your doctor has diagnosed you with chronic pain, they’ll recommend some treatment options, which can vary based on a number of factors, such as your overall health and the cause, type, and severity of your pain. It’s likely that you’ll be recommended to try one of the five common treatment options for chronic pain, which include:
- Medication
Your doctor may ask you to try one or more medications to relieve your chronic pain or treat any underlying conditions that may be contributing to it. They may prescribe medications like anti-inflammatories, sedatives, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants.
- Lifestyle Change
Your doctor may ask you to make some lifestyle changes to help combat your chronic pain, such as reducing stress levels, trying a new diet, getting more sleep, and exercising daily. This treatment option may be recommended alone or in conjunction with other treatments.
- Therapy
Your doctor may refer you to try one or more forms of therapy. Things like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and even psychiatric therapy can help you manage chronic pain symptoms and any underlying conditions that may be causing them.
- Surgery
Surgery is usually a last-resort treatment option for chronic pain, and it’s only effective for certain types of chronic pain. Your doctor will likely assess your overall health and determine if other treatment options are viable before recommending surgery.
- Hospice Care
If you qualify for hospice care, this may be the most beneficial option to help manage chronic pain symptoms. Hospice care does not provide treatment for chronic pain or the underlying cause of it, but rather it provides a list of comprehensive hospice services that work to help you manage the symptoms, live comfortably, and reduce emergency hospital visits.
Choosing Hospice Care for Chronic Symptom Management — The Details
Hospice care is not just end-of-life care. It’s care that prioritizes quality of life. Offering a broad scope of services (physician, nursing, therapies, spiritual, volunteer, etc.), hospice care providers offer personalized care plans to ensure you’re supported in all the ways you need. And with a team of experienced professionals, you can always know you’re in good hands.
The best part? Hospice care is usually fully covered by Medicare or Medicaid. With the exception of a few $5 copays for prescription medications, all of these benefits are provided at zero cost to you and your family.
All that said, electing hospice care doesn’t mean you’re “giving up.” Instead, it means you’re choosing quality of life and comfort, instead of suffering through chronic pain symptoms and costly or ineffective treatments. It’s a choice to live more comfortably, peacefully, and freely, and to enjoy the time spent with your loved ones.
Want to Learn More About Hospice Care? We Can Help.
Too often, we hear that families didn’t know hospice could provide chronic pain management services. But at West Michigan Hospice, we believe that hospice care is more than just end-of-life care, and we’re here to provide all the comfort and support your loved one needs to live peacefully. Contact our team to learn more about our services and how to enroll your loved one in them.