Mohamed Kourtu, M.D., DABPA, DABA

Wednesday Elder, CRNP

Managing Pain on a Holistic Level

Pain Medicine Definition

The practice of pain medicine is multi-disciplinary in approach, incorporating modalities from various specialties to ensure the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of the patient’s pain.

Since pain can have a negative impact on a person's quality of life and impede recovery from illness or injury, it can cause a downward spiral in a person's health and outlook if not managed. Managing pain properly facilitates recovery, prevents additional health complications, and improves an individual's quality of life.

Available Pain Management Treatments

Pharmacological: Pain-relieving drugs include:

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• acetaminophen
• narcotics
• antidepressants and
• anti-convulsants

Pain relieving drugs are used in conjunction with other treatments and are NOT a long-term solution for pain management.

Surgical:

There are three types of invasive procedures that may be used to manage or treat pain: anatomic, augmentative, and ablative. These procedures involve surgery, and certain guidelines will be followed before carrying out a procedure with permanent effects.

 Acupuncture:

This is one of the main forms of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very specific points. This process is believed to adjust and alter the body's energy flow into healthier patterns, and is used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions.
 

Warren Pain Clinic & Acupuncture

St. Clair Building
103 St. Clair Street
Warren, PA 16365
814-726-7365
www.warrenpainclinic.com 

Types of Pain Treated 

Here is a partial listing of the types of pain we treat on a regular basis:

• Lower back pain
• Spinal stenosis
• Vertebral compression fractures
• Cervical and lumbar facet joint disease
• Pinched nerves
• Sacroiliac joint disease
• Nerve pain, including diabetic nerve pain
• Rib pain
• Herniated disc and degenerative disc disease
• Muscular Pain

Making an Appointment

Typically, a referral is needed from your primary care physician. Prior to beginning management, pain is thoroughly evaluated. Evaluation also includes a physical examination and diagnostic tests to determine underlying causes.

Some evaluations require assessments from several viewpoints, including neurology, psychiatry and psychology, and physical therapy. If pain is due to a medical procedure, management consists of anticipating the type and intensity of associated pain and managing it preemptively.