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Orthopaedic
Surgery
How We
Approach
Diagnosis
and
Treatment
of Chronic
Pain
The words
chronic
pain mean
different
things to
different
people.
The
general
definition
is "pain
which has
lasted for
more than
six
months."
The
problem
with this
definition
is that it
does not
differentiate
between
mild pain
and
severe,
constant,
disabling
pain--pain
that ruins
lives.
At
Renaissance
Healthcare
Systems we
deal with
the
patients
at both
ends of
the
spectrum
and who
indeed
have
severe,
disabling,
ongoing
pain.
Modern
science
has
fortunately
evolved to
the point
where we
are now
able to
diagnose
the source
of many of
these
types of
chronic
pain. In
the past
before
this could
be done,
patients
were told
"the pain
is in your
head." Now
with our
sophisticated
diagnostic
testing,
we can
often find
the source
of the
pain. It's
exciting
that not
only do we
now have a
diagnosis,
but we can
look
toward a
rational
treatment
of the
problem.
In our
clinic we
diagnose
the source
of pain in
about 60%
to 70% of
patients.
Very often
they have
not had a
diagnosis
before,
and so
they were
not being
treated on
a rational
basis. Our
clinic is
dedicated
to finding
the
diagnosis,
that is,
to finding
the source
of the
pain
rather
than
simply
telling
the
patients
they have
a nebulous
condition
called
"chronic
pain".
We also
recognize
that
often,
because of
ongoing
chronic
severe
pain, the
patient's
financial
stability
and
private
life are
put in
jeopardy.
It is
natural
that when
someone is
in
constant
pain he
will be
unable to
work
effectively,
and sooner
or later
maybe lose
their job.
The
interferences
to family
life may
lead to
family
breakups.
The
unrelenting
pain, poor
sleep,
financial
and family
worries,
inevitably
lead
towards
psychological
meltdown.
It is no
surprise
that with
everything
falling
apart,
many of
these
patients
have
suicidal
thoughts--one
of the
recognized
dangers of
chronic
pain.
The goal
of
Renaissance
Healthcare
Systems is
to provide
total
support -
to make
all the
pieces
fit.
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