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Medication Management services offered in Cumming, Dahlonega, and Dawsonville GA
Medication is a treatment people with chronic pain rely on the most, but these drugs can cause problems. If you take medicines for chronic pain, talk to the experts in medication management at Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain. At their offices in Dahlonega, Dawsonville, and Cumming, Georgia, they ensure that your medicines provide effective symptom relief while minimizing side effects. Call Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain today or book an appointment online to arrange a medication management review.
Medication Management Q&A
What is medication management?
Medication management is often an essential part of managing chronic pain — pain that continues for more than three months. Medication provides symptom relief and helps you gradually regain lost function.
Any medication can cause side effects, some of which are severe. If you need medication, it’s vital that an expert in medication management oversee your prescriptions.
They can ensure that you’re taking the right medicine at the correct dose. They can change your medication if you’re experiencing side effects. They also know how drugs interact with each other. So they make sure that you aren’t taking harmful combinations.
The Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain team makes every effort to successfully treat the underlying causes of pain and minimize the risks to patients from medication.
What medications might I need for chronic pain?
Advances in drugs mean there are now many safe and effective medications for chronic pain. The medications your doctor at Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain recommends will depend on which kind of pain you’re experiencing, but can include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (for example, ibuprofen)
- Acetaminophen
- Muscle relaxants
- Antidepressants
- Anticonvulsants
Prescription opioids like oxycodone and morphine can be part of some patients’ treatment programs. But they’re more likely to cause serious side effects. Opioids aren’t suitable for all kinds of pain and often become less effective if used long-term. They’re also addictive — prescription opioid abuse is a significant problem in the United States.
For these reasons, the Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain team uses opioids sparingly.
How does medication management fit into my treatment plan?
Medication is only one element of effective pain management. The Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain team uses a combination of treatments to reduce pain, increase physical function, and provide you with coping skills.
When you’re in constant pain, your instinct is to avoid walking and moving around. But immobility makes your condition worse. Very often, pain that’s present all the time isn’t damaging your body. Learning to increase your physical activity despite the pain is called pacing, and it’s an essential part of chronic pain management.
Medication can help by making staying active and doing your physical therapy easier. But it’s best to use it alongside pain management counseling, which teaches you how to cope with pain.
Call Cleaver Medical Group Interventional Pain today or book an appointment online to learn more about medication management and how it helps you deal with chronic pain.