Chronic pain is defined as ongoing pain which may be severe and lasts for more than six months. Whereas acute pain comes on suddenly, and may be sharp in nature, chronic pain lingers, even in cases when the cause of the pain (such as disease or injury) has been successfully treated. Other individuals suffer from chronic pain with no known cause.

Chronic pain affects countless men and women in Southern California and can appear in virtually any area of the body. Some examples of chronic pain include arthritis, back pain, nerve pain, pain from cancer, pain remaining from an injury, joint pain, migraine pain, pain from drug withdrawal and others. Chronic pain can take a devastating toll on the individual suffering, in more ways than just physical pain. Chronic pain frequently reduces quality of life, leaving sufferers tense, unable to enjoy activities in life, and may lead to depression.

Treatments for Chronic Pain

All individuals are unique, and as such, there is no one-size-fits-all model to treat chronic pain. Treatments for chronic pain will vary based on the cause of the pain, severity of the pain, and the location of the pain. Treatment for chronic pain will need to be tailored to each individuals' overall health, keeping in mind all other medical conditions, medications taken, and most importantly, based on how effective it is at reducing pain.

Because the nature of chronic pain is complex, it may take time to find the treatments which work best for you. Many individuals find that a combination of various treatments works best for them.

Some of the many treatments available for chronic pain include:

• Alternative therapies (acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care, meditation, hypnosis)
• Botox injections
• Dietary changes
• Electrical nerve stimulation
• Exercise
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve block injections
• Over-the-counter medication
• Physical therapy
• Platelet Rich Plasma injections
• Prescription medication
• Psychological treatment
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Steroid injections
• Surgical implants (drug delivery, spinal cord stimulation, etc.)
• Trigger point injections
• And more…

If you suffer from chronic pain, it is important to remember, that just because one treatment doesn't work, you're destined to be in pain forever. You should also be prepared that it can take days or weeks to determine whether a particular treatment was effective. To the extent that you can, when you're suffering from chronic pain, try to focus on remaining hopeful, and taking the absolute best care of yourself as possible. If you are advised to exercise, to lose weight, to quit smoking or drinking, to attend therapy; it is important to follow all recommendations to have the best chance at reducing your pain.

Dr. Ryan Peterson understands that chronic pain can bring with it feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and as such he uses a bio-psycho-social approach to treat patients with chronic pain. In addition to being a Board-Certified Pain Management physician in Los Angeles, Dr. Peterson is also an addiction specialist, and is committed to helping those with chronic pain to prevent opiate addiction, and to employ non-addictive pain treatments wherever possible.

If you're suffering from chronic pain, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ryan Peterson today to begin your journey to pain reduction. With offices throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Dr. Ryan Peterson is dedicated to helping men and women suffering from pain to improve their quality of lives, through providing compassionate, minimally invasive care.

To schedule a consultation with Los Angeles Pain Management Specialist, Dr. Ryan Peterson, call 818-200-8192