Pain management providers see patients who are experiencing pain in the lower back, knee, head, hip, or neck, and who could be suffering from common conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, sciatica, and much more. But what exactly is “pain management”?
We sat down with our board-certified interventional pain management provider, Dr. Andrew Lehn to ask him a few questions about his specialty: pain management.
Q. What is the most common reason patients come to see you?
A. I treat pain from head to toe but low back pain is the most common complaint. It is estimated that up to 80% of people will have significant low back pain at some point in their lives!
Q. What is pain management, in your professional opinion?
A. Pain management is restoration. Pain means something is not functioning correctly. My goal is to try and figure out the source of pain and direct treatment to that location. Some conditions require surgery to correct but many things can improve by decreasing inflammation and facilitating healing. My goal is to restore someone back to how they felt before the pain started.
Q. What advice would you give a friend or a loved one if they are experiencing back or joint pain?
A. Exercise! Most painful conditions will improve with time. The goal is to strengthen the muscles and joints around a painful area so hopefully the pain does not increase. I tell people to think about joint pain like you would think about your heart. Imagine what your cardiologist would tell you: exercise, lose weight, eat healthy, decrease stress, prioritize good sleep. All these things will help your pain as well.
Q. Can you share a patient success story?
A. Recently, I had an elderly patient who was experiencing significant low back and buttock pain. She was frustrated because she was having difficulty doing her exercises and could not participate in physical therapy. Her Lumbar MRI had some degenerative issues and spinal narrowing but nothing too specific for the pain she was experiencing. She had pain around her Sacroiliac joint and her pain worsened with manipulation of the joint. I decided to inject her SI joint and she came back with significant relief. While her pain was not entirely gone, she felt that she could now do her exercises and return to physical therapy. Ultimately, that is the goal! I work alongside my patients to help get them going again and then they are better able to rehabilitate their injury and get back to functioning again.
Pain management works best when the patient and doctor work together for the best solutions.
If you’re experiencing pain of any kind, talk to Dr. Lehn today to see how he can help you overcome your pain issues and get back to living a fuller, pain-free life.
Schedule a consultation HERE or give us a call, 603-431-1121.