Pain Management Treatments
Topical Application of pain medication offer the following advantages:
Delivers relief directly to pain receptors, Minimizes absorption into the blood stream, Blocks portions of the inflammatory cascade, Quickly provides measurable and identifiable pain relief, Greater effectiveness and results, Produces fewer side effects (nausea, dry mouth, sedation, constipation and sleep disturbances), Reduces the possibility of adverse drug interactions Formulations are non-addictive Minimizes oxidative stress, Reduces organ toxicity (liver, kidney, heart and GI), Improves patient compliance and outcomes
The following is a list of pain conditions for which we commonly customize medications:
Arthritis
Is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis involves wear-and-tear damage to your joints cartilage. In rheumatoid arthritis, the bodys immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule, the synovial membrane. Signs and symptoms of arthritis include: pain, stiffness, swelling, redness, and decreased range of motion.
Back Pain
Is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work. Clinical presentation of back pain can include: muscle ache, shooting or stabbing pain, pain that radiates down your leg, limited flexibility or range of motion of the back, and the inability to stand up straight. Back pain is commonly linked to the following conditions: muscle or ligament strain, bulging or ruptured disks, arthritis, skeletal irregularities, and osteoporosis.
Burning Foot Syndrome
Is the sensation that your feet are painfully hot, which can be mild or severe. In some cases, your burning feet may be so painful that the pain interferes with your sleep. With certain conditions, burning feet may also be accompanied by a pins and needles sensation (paresthesia) or numbness, or both. Some of the possible causes for the syndrome include: alcoholism, athlete’s foot, chemotherapy, diabetic neuropathy, and HIV/AIDS.
Cervicogenic Headache
Is a headache which originates from the neck and is one of the most common types of headache. Cervicogenic headache typically occurs due to damage to one or more joints, muscles, ligaments or nerves of the top 3 vertebra of the neck. Patients with this condition often experience neck pain, stiffness and difficulty turning their neck, in addition to their head symptoms. Pain, pins and needles or numbness may also be felt in the upper back, shoulders, arms or hands, although this is less common. Occasionally, patients may experience other symptoms, including: light-headedness, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, decreased concentration, an inability to function normally, and depression.
Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
(CRPS) Is an uncommon form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg. Complex regional pain syndrome typically develops after an injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack, but the pain is out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury. Signs and symptoms include: continuous burning or throbbing pain, sensitivity to touch or cold, swelling of the painful area, changes in skin temperature, changes in skin color, changes in skin texture, joint stiffness, muscle weakness and atrophy, and decreased ability to move the affected body part. There are two types of CRPS which have similar signs and symptoms, however they vary with their causes. In Type 1, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, this type occurs after an illness or injury that didnt directly damage the nerves in your affected limb. Whereas Type 2 follows a distinct nerve injury.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar can injure nerve fibers throughout your body, but diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet. The 4 different types of neuropathy include: peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, radiculoplexus neuropathy, and mononeuropathy. Prolonged exposure to high blood sugar can damage delicate nerve fibers, causing diabetic neuropathy. In addition, nerve inflammation, genetic factors, smoking, and alcohol abuse can lead to the disease.
Foot Pain
Is discomfort that arises from the foot. It can be mild, causing some soreness each time you move your foot, or it can be severe, making it impossible to use your foot. Some of the causes of pain include: bone spurs, broken bones in the foot, bunions, corns and calluses, diabetic neuropathy, gout, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and tumors.
Fibromyalgia
Is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. It can clinically present as: widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties. Genetics, infections, and physical or emotional trauma are often the causes of the disease.
General Pain
Is an unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation.
The following is a list of pain conditions for which we commonly compound medications:
Gout
Is a complex form of arthritis and is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints, often in the joint at the base of the big toe. Signs and symptoms can include: intense joint pain, lingering discomfort, and inflammation. Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood.
Head and Neck Pain
Can range from a dull ache to an electric-shock type of sensation. Some of the many causes for head and neck pain include: ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia, meningitis, and tension headaches.
Inflammation
Is a process in which the bodys white blood cells and chemicals protect it from infection with foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. Symptoms of inflammation include: redness, swollen joints, joint pain, joint stiffness and loss of joint function.
Joint Pain
Is discomfort that arises from any joint. It can be mild, causing some soreness each time you move your joint. Or joint pain can be severe, making it impossible to use your joint. Some causes for joint pain include: broken bones, dislocations, and Lupus.
Knee Pain
Is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Symptoms of knee pain can include: swelling and stiffness, redness and warmth to the touch, weakness and instability, popping or crunching noises, and inability to fully straighten the knee. Some of the common causes for knee pain are: ACL injury, torn meniscus, knee bursitis, patellar tendinitis, loose bodies within the knee, osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Migraine
A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Some of the causes include: hormonal changes in women, certain foods, additives, drinks, stress, sensory stimuli, changes in sleep-wake pattern, sexual activity, a change in weather and medications (such as oral contraceptives and nitroglycerin).
Musculoskeletal Pain
Affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. It can be acute (having a rapid onset with severe symptoms) or chronic (long-lasting). Musculoskeletal pain can be localized in one area, or widespread. Lower back pain is the most common type of musculoskeletal pain. Other common types include tendonitis, myalgia (muscle pain), and stress fractures. It is most often caused by an injury to the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves. This can be caused by jerking movements, car accidents, falls, fractures, sprains, and dislocations.
Neuralgia
Is a stabbing, burning, and often quite severe pain that occurs along a damaged nerve. The damaged nerve may be anywhere in the body, but is most common in the face and neck. The cause of a damaged nerve may be a disease like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, an infection like shingles, or the result of old age.
Neuromuscular Pain
Affects the nerves that control your voluntary muscles. When the neurons become unhealthy or die, communication between your nervous system and muscles breaks down. As a result, your muscles weaken and waste away. The weakness can lead to twitching, cramps, aches and pains, and joint and movement problems.
Neuropathy
Is a general term that refers to diseases or malfunctions of the nerves. Any nerve at any location in the body can be damaged from injury or disease. Neuropathy is often classified according to the types or location of nerves that are affected. There is a large number of causes of neuropathy including: diabetes, vitamin deficiencies (such as B12), infections, autoimmune disorders, trauma, tumors, and direct blows to the muscle.
Post Herpetic Neuralgia
Is a complication of shingles, which is caused by herpes zoster. Postherpetic neuralgia affects your nerve fibers and skin, and the burning pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia can be severe enough to interfere with sleep and appetite. The risk of postherpetic neuralgia increases with age, primarily affecting people older than 60. The area affected also makes a difference. The symptoms of post herpetic neuralgia include: pain, sensitivity to light touch, itching and numbness, and weakness.
Shingles
Is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After youve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. The signs and symptoms of shingles usually affect only a small section of one side of your body. These signs and symptoms may include: pain, burning, numbness or tingling; a red rash that begins a few days after the pain; Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over; and itching. In addition some people also experience fever and chills, general achiness, headaches and fatigue.
Stress/Tension Headache
Is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain in your head thats often described as feeling like a tight band around your head. It can clinically present as dull, aching pain; sensations of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head; and tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles.