In recognition and celebration of National Pain Awareness Month this September, Dr. Vemuri has taken a look at some of the FAQs about pain management and awareness, and addressed them with some recommendations on preventative habits and tips for how to lead a healthy, pain-free life.
I'm Definitely Aware That I Have Pain, But Now What?
Medicine as we know it is always shifting and changing, and along with it, one of the most prevalent driving factors of more effective forms of relief: pain management. Modern day pain management options are far superior compared to past management methods, even looking just a few years prior to today. But some factors – including the best options – don’t change at all.
Lifestyle Habits
A lot of the best studied, implemented, and recorded pain management methods are all associated with lifestyle choices and habits – not with pharmaceuticals or surgery.
In response to a question about the best pain management options available in today’s market, Dr. Vemuri quotes,
“Foremost are lifestyle changes. A good diet and exercise program can promote pain reduction through fighting inflammation and producing endorphins (the body’s natural pain killer), respectively. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is loaded with sugar and is highly processed, triggering inflammation and therefore, pain. Switching to more Whole Foods can rapidly improve pain.”
Pharmaceuticals
But not all pain responds to lifestyle change in a way that completely allows people afflicted with chronic pain to function. Especially at miiSpine, where the goal is to provide comprehensive care, pain management doesn’t come in just one form, and in some cases, medications do work better.
Narcotics are available, but due to the potential for abuse and dependence, usually aren’t seen as the ideal or most sustainable option. Instead, doctor-monitored NSAID use to reduce general inflammation, which subsequently reduces pain, and nerve medication such as Gabapentin for targeted nerve pain relief (one of the leading causes of back pain in general), is preferred.
Non-Surgical Procedures
A step further than that, and we come to more invasive treatment options, which miiSpine offers, as well, for those with advanced pain.
The two most common treatments in this manner include:
1. Epidurals
In which pain medication is injected to target different areas of the spine. With diagnosis and implementation performed in miiSpine’s state-of-the-art Pain Suite complete with live X-Rays for precise pain location, this is a multi-faceted pain management option, and miiSpine Spine Specialists work closely with you to make sure you get the most effective injection.
2. Spinal Cord Stimulation
Focused more towards those suffering from chronic nerve pain, our Spinal Cord Stimulation option utilizes a technologically-advanced, implantable device that plays the role of moderator between the pain signals that the spinal cord sends out and the rest of the body. This device modulation controls and influences pain and is the result of studies and inventions dating back to the 1960s.
Surgical Procedures
As the most invasive treatment option available, spinal surgery is always the last option at miiSpine – but in some cases, it can still be the recommended one. Dr. Vemuri makes his personal guarantee that patients can, “…rest assured we have exhausted all other options and we will perform the appropriate procedure to cure your pain using minimally invasive techniques.”
Why Should I Treat my Back Pain at miiSpine?
When asked about the services and pain management options to explore at miiSpine, Dr. Vemuri proudly had quite a few services to explain, as well as a couple of exciting new additions that are coming soon.
1. Our Patient-Centered Attitude
miiSpine is built around the desire to give patients an all-encompassing, personalized experience that solves their pain problems non-invasively and at prices that aren’t inflated, like you would find at hospitals. Besides prices, however, pain awareness and the appropriate management methods require a knowledgeable and thorough hand throughout the process, and miiSpine offers all of the above.
With a Hybrid Spine Specialist and a full toolbox of techniques that have seen success many times, miiSpine is well-equipped and ready to offer a full spectrum of treatment options – some of them not seen anywhere else in the state.
2. Our Investments in Cutting-Edge Technology
We know that spine pain is tricky and sometimes difficult to diagnose, but not for us. We have cutting edge imaging technology, and our EOSedge Full-Body Scanning System is soon to be joined by an Open Stand-Up MRI machine, which will be the only one available in Kentucky. Both of these machines help us get the most precise image possible for a highly-tuned treatment plan for your unique pain.
3. Our Services
miiSpine is expanding its services to offer even more options, so your plan will truly be tailored to you, and with the help of our already-implemented services, we’ll also be offering physical therapy services with a non-invasive, non-opioid pain treatment specialist. With this new venture, our patients will have access to traditional PT as well as the newest methods available, such as Virtual Reality for Pain treatments.
Dr. Vemuri holds this new opportunity in high regard, saying that, “By using current methods of mindfulness, pain neuroscience education, and cognitive behavioral therapy, PT is being revolutionized in what it can offer chronic pain sufferers.”
Contact miiSpine Today
When it comes to pain awareness and options for those with chronic pain, miiSpine is one of the leading providers in innovative pain solutions. We aren’t satisfied with traditional methods or jumping to the operating table – we want the effective, low-maintenance, quick-turnaround to normal life that our patients need.
If you are experiencing back pain, neck pain, or some other medical condition, you may benefit from finding an innovative spine physician. Dr. Venu Vemuri at miiSpine is an award-winning doctor focused on providing a comprehensive treatment approach towards all types of back conditions and pain. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, call the Louisville, Kentucky miiSpine office today at (502) 242-6370.
