The opioid epidemic shed a glaring light on the dark side of pain management, but what can be done to manage pain in this complicated new world? As it turns out, a lot – so long as the entire hospital is dedicated to working together to make patient care a priority.
Pain permeates everything. Physical health. Mental health. Overall wellbeing. That is why Hoag’s approach is to address pain at all angles and with extreme skill and caution. Last year, Hoag named Charles De Mesa, D.O, M.P.H., to serve as both director of interventional pain at the Hoag Spine Center and as the medical director for the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute’s Chronic Pain & Neuropathy Program. It is a move that demonstrates how far-reaching pain is in our patients’ lives.
“Pain is a useful alarm, and it lets you know when something is wrong. But for some that alarm system is malfunctioning,” Dr. De Mesa said. “The approach we have to have is to carefully listen to the patient and address the issues that have impacted their quality of life through predominantly non-pharmacological options before considering medications, if necessary.”
Doing so requires a unique understanding of pain management and an appreciation of whole-person, compassionate care.
To learn more about how your Hoag doctor can help you manage pain and identify underlying causes of pain, visit www.hoag.org.
Among the non-pharmacologic approaches to pain management, Hoag offers:
Physical Therapy. Hoag’s stellar physical therapists work with people contending with pain all over the body, from pelvic floor to back pain, joint and limb pain. Often, guiding patients through specially tailored exercises can help alleviate the musculoskeletal issues contributing to a person’s pain.
Virtual Reality. Hoag is pioneering the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in the treatment and management of pain, helping surgery patients recover faster and guiding labor and delivery patients through relief. Across the hospital, physicians are finding that VR is helping improve patients’ quality of life.
Diet and exercise. “Even small alterations to your diet, exercise regime and sleep can help you manage chronic back pain,” Dr. De Mesa said. “Medication, injections and surgery are always options, but small adjustments to your lifestyle can lead to significant improvements in your pain.”
Mindfulness. Meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn to control your response to life’s stressors. “Managing stress is important because stress and pain are a two-way street. Pain triggers the release of stress hormones, which makes muscles tighten up – causing you to experience more pain,” Dr. De Mesa said.
“We are uniquely poised to offer a more robust approach due to Hoag’s expert diagnostic capabilities and technologies, as well as the ability to conduct investigational research in neuromodulation and even regenerative medicine,” Dr. De Mesa said. “Hoag’s dedication to research, clinical trials and patient-centric care provides patients with meaningful pain management that is not reliant on narcotics or other medications that are deleterious to their health.”
