Three signs it may be time to see a pain management specialist

Chronic pain is an invisible disease that is notoriously difficult to treat. Its cause may be obvious – such as injury or illness – but physicians often find it hard, even impossible, to pinpoint the reason a patient feels pain. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, which is usually defined as pain that has lasted for six months or more, it’s important to see a pain management specialist.

Pain management specialists are physicians specializing in finding the source of your pain and prescribing treatments and pain management solutions. Here are the top three signs that you may need to see a pain management specialist:

1. Your pain is severe and persistent

You are in pain every day. It’s so severe that you can’t focus on anything else. You’ve gone to the doctor and tried prescription medication, but nothing seems to help. You’ve read about different treatments, but you’re not sure which one is right for you. You have considered surgery, but you’re afraid of the risks.

2. You’ve tried rest, ice, and medication but they haven’t helped

In some cases, conservative methods such as rest, ice, and medication do not help to reduce pain and inflammation. You may need to try a combination of treatments before you find a solution that works for you. Pain specialists can help you consider different options and help you find one that best fits your needs.

3. It’s difficult to perform day-to-day activities

There are many different types of pain, and each person’s experience is unique. For some, the pain is so severe that they are unable to do many of the everyday things they enjoyed before their pain began. In these cases, people are often willing to try alternative treatments to find relief. When conservative treatments fail to help, doctors may recommend options such as interventional pain treatments or invasive surgery as a last resort. Surgery is an effective way to treat some medical conditions, but it’s important to speak to a pain specialist about the risks and benefits before you decide to undergo an invasive surgical procedure.

Interventional pain treatments for chronic pain

There are a few common types of outpatient treatments that can provide long-term pain relief, such as Boston Scientific’s drug-free and clinically proven pain management solutions. They are less invasive than many other surgical procedures and have a quicker recovery time; these treatments are often used when noninterventional methods have stopped working or when other surgical procedures are too aggressive:

Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy (SCS)

SCS therapy is a procedure that uses an implanted device to deliver mild electrical impulses to your spinal cord. This interrupts the pain signals that your nerves send, which can help prevent you from feeling the pain.

The Vertiflex^™ Procedure^†

This minimally invasive outpatient procedure uses a small spacer to relieve pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). LSS is the narrowing of the spinal canal, which puts pressure on the nerves and causes pain.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

RFA is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses thermal energy to interrupt pain signals at the source.

Conclusion

If you have been experiencing pain that has impacted your quality of life for six months or more, it is probably time to see a pain specialist. You can find a pain management specialist near you with our physician locator. And to find out which Boston Scientific pain solution may be right for you, take our quick quiz. After taking the quiz, you can download our Doctor Discussion Guide to help you prepare for your next doctor’s visit.

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†Superion™ Indirect Decompression System

Indications for Use: The Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems are indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with the following: failed back surgery syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Types I and II, intractable low back pain and leg pain, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower extremities, radicular pain syndrome, radiculopathies resulting in pain secondary to failed back syndrome or herniated disc, epidural fibrosis, degenerative disc disease (herniated disc pain refractory to conservative and surgical interventions), arachnoiditis, multiple back surgeries. The Boston Scientific Spectra WaveWriter™, WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime SCS Systems are also indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable unilateral or bilateral low back and leg pain without prior back surgery.

Contraindications. The Spinal Cord Stimulator systems are not for patients who are unable to operate the system, have failed trial stimulation by failing to receive effective pain relief, are poor surgical candidates, or are pregnant.

Boston Scientific’s ImageReady™ MRI Technology makes safe MRI head scans possible. Patients implanted with the Precision Spectra™ or Spectra WaveWriter™ Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems with ImageReady™ MRI Technology are "MR Conditional" only when exposed to the MRI environment under the specific conditions defined in the applicable ImageReady™ MRI Head Only Guidelines for Precision Spectra™ or Spectra WaveWriter™ Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems.

Boston Scientific’s ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Technology makes safe MRI scans possible. The Precision Montage™ MRI, WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime SCS Systems with ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Technology are “MR Conditional” only when exposed to the MRI environment under the specific conditions defined in the applicable ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Guidelines for Precision Montage™ MRI or WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems.

Warnings. Patients implanted with Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems without ImageReady™ MRI Technology should not be exposed to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Exposure to MRI may result in dislodgement of the stimulator or leads, heating of the stimulator, severe damage to the stimulator electronics and an uncomfortable or jolting sensation. As a Spinal Cord Stimulation patient, you should not have diathermy as either a treatment for a medical condition or as part of a surgical procedure. Strong electromagnetic fields, such as power generators or theft detection systems, can potentially turn the stimulator off, or cause uncomfortable jolting stimulation. The system should not be charged while sleeping. The Spinal Cord Stimulator system may interfere with the operation of implanted sensing stimulators such as pacemakers or implanted cardiac defibrillators. Advise your physician that you have a Spinal Cord Stimulator before going through with other implantable device therapies so that medical decisions can be made and appropriate safety measures taken. Patients using therapy that generates paresthesia should not operate motorized vehicles such as automobiles or potentially dangerous machinery and equipment with the stimulation on. Stimulation must be turned off first in such cases. For therapy that does not generate paresthesia (i.e. subperception therapy) it is less likely that sudden stimulation changes resulting in distraction could occur while having stimulation on when operating moving vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Your doctor may be able to provide additional information on the Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator systems. For complete indications for use, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and side effects, call 866.360.4747 or visit Pain.com. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Indications for Use: The Superion™ Indirect Decompression System (IDS) is indicated to treat skeletally mature patients suffering from pain, numbness, and/or cramping in the legs (neurogenic intermittent claudication) secondary to a diagnosis of moderate degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without Grade 1 spondylolisthesis, having radiographic evidence of thickened ligamentum flavum, narrowed lateral recess, and/or central canal or foraminal narrowing. The Superion™ Interspinous Spacer is indicated for those patients with impaired physical function who experience relief in flexion from symptoms of leg/buttock/groin pain, with or without back pain, who have undergone at least 6 months of non-operative treatment. The Superion Interspinous Spacer may be implanted at one or two adjacent lumbar levels in patients in whom treatment is indicated at no more than two levels, from L1 to L5. Contraindications, warnings, precautions, side effects. The Superion Indirect Decompression System (IDS) is contraindicated for patients who: have spinal anatomy that prevent implantation of the device or cause the device to be unstable in situ (i.e., degenerative spondylolisthesis greater than grade 1), Cauda equina syndrome, or prior decompression or fusion at the index level, scoliosis or spinous process fractures, osteoporosis, infection, allergy or reaction to any metal or implant or a high Body Mass Index. Avoid strenuous activity for 6 weeks after surgery, contact your physician if there is fluid leaking from your incision, if you have pain, swelling or numbness in your legs or buttocks or if you fall. Refer to the Instructions for Use provided on www.vertiflex.com for additional Indications for Use, contraindications information and potential adverse effects, warnings, and precautions prior to using this product. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Indications for Use: The Boston Scientific Radiofrequency Generators, associated Radiofrequency Lesion Probes and RF Cannula are indicated for use in procedures to create radiofrequency lesions for the treatment of pain or for lesioning nerve tissue for functional neurosurgical procedures. The Boston Scientific RF Injection Electrodes are used for percutaneous nerve blocks with local anesthetic solution for radiofrequency lesioning of peripheral nerve tissue only. The Boston Scientific LCED and Stereotactic TCD Electrodes are indicated for use in radiofrequency (RF) heat lesioning of nervous tissue including the Central Nervous System.

Warnings: The Boston Scientific RF devices may cause interference with active devices such as neurostimulators, cardiac pacemakers, and defibrillators. Interference may affect the action of these active devices or may damage them. For appropriate guidance, consult the instructions for use for these active devices. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

§The physician locator tool identifies pain management specialists in your area who have met certain qualifying criteria and are experienced with one or more of Boston Scientific pain management therapies. All treatment options should be discussed thoroughly with a pain management specialist.