Pain and Its Treatments Are Largely Misunderstood – Here’s Why

Pain and Its Treatments Are Largely Misunderstood – Here's Why

Pain and Its Treatments Are Largely Misunderstood – Here’s Why

Here at Lone Star Pain Medicine, or philosophy for treating chronic pain is to improve life, one patient at a time, by restoring function and wellbeing. We are not alone. Pain management clinics across the country have the same philosophy and goals. We do what we do because we know that pain and its treatments are largely misunderstood by other types of clinicians.

This isn’t a criticism of GPs, family physicians, internists, etc. It is simply an observation of the fact that pain medicine doctors have a much more in-depth understanding of pain and its mechanisms. We also have additional training related to chronic pain treatments. As such, pain medicine doctors are often the most qualified clinicians to work with chronic pain patients.

If you have ever wondered why your GP or family doctor has struggled to help alleviate your chronic pain, check out these reasons explaining why pain and its treatments are largely misunderstood:

1. A Lack of Knowledge

Doctors choose specialties after finishing medical school. They undergo specialized training to prepare them for their chosen specialties. So unless a doctor specializes in pain, their additional training in that area is limited.

As an example, GPs and family doctors specialize in internal medicine. They need to learn the basics of an awful lot of conditions, diseases, and injuries. Likewise, an oncologist specializes in cancer. A cardiologist is a heart specialist. None of these specialists focus on the causes or mechanisms of pain.

2. Assessment Difficulties

Specific pain, which is pain related to a known condition, is fairly easy to assess. Any emergency room doctor can understand the pain associated with a broken arm. But chronic pain is often either nonspecific or tied to conditions most doctors are unfamiliar with. In such cases, assessment can be difficult.

Doctors can struggle to assess a patient’s pain level, the impact of pain on their daily life, and the interaction between pain’s physical and psychological components. But pain medicine doctors have a better understanding of these types of things.

3. Limited Time and Resources

It is probably a safe bet that most GPs and family doctors would be more than happy to learn more about chronic pain and its treatments if they had the time and resources to do so. But both time and resources are limited in the modern healthcare environment. Doctors are facing increased patient loads and multi-morbidities. At the same time, they need to deal with insurance company-imposed consultation limits.

4. The Pharmacological Emphasis

In terms of chronic pain treatments, most of the misunderstandings are due to a heavy emphasis on pharmacological therapies. The truth is that American medicine emphasizes pharmacological solutions too much – to the detriment of other treatments that could be more effective.

The focus on pharmacological medicine also has a negative impact on the concept of multi-disciplinary management. Yet in pain medicine, the multi-disciplinary approach is routine. It is something with which pain medicine doctors are very comfortable.

5. Pain’s Personal Nature

Rounding out the list is pain’s personal nature. If there is one thing that pain medicine doctors know, it is the fact that patients experience pain in different ways. No two patient experiences are exactly alike. To a doctor who does not specialize in pain, this reality can be confusing and frustrating.

Family doctors, GPs, internists, and other types of clinicians do yeoman’s work in their given specialties. But unfortunately, they frequently do not possess the knowledge, skill, or resources to adequately address chronic pain. The result is that pain and its treatments are largely misunderstood. But that’s why we have pain medicine doctors.

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