Tragically, pain is undertreated. 40% of those with moderate or severe pain from whatever cause, including cancer, are not receiving adequate pain management.
Pain is the most common reason people consult a physician, yet pain management frequently is inadequate, leading to needless suffering.
Each year 15% to 20% of the entire US population experiences acute pain. Management of acute pain consists of providing rapid effective analgesia and treating the cause of the pain, until healing is accomplished.
Chronic pain is about twice as common as acute pain and is the most common reason patients seek medical care. Chronic pain may last for years. It usually accompanies a chronic, persisting clinical entity — rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, back pain or the pain associated with malignancy. Of these, osteoarthritis is far and away the most common, followed by fibromyalgia and a variety of related regional pain syndromes, including migraine headaches, chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome (formerly, reflex sympathetic dystrophy).
More than 30 million patients suffer from chronic pain, and 7 million of them cannot relieve their pain without pain management utilizing opioids (narcotics).
In the United States, appropriate pain management remains an unmet clinical need. Nearly 40% of chronic pain sufferers say that their pain is not under control and that they believe there is nothing more a doctor can do; almost 25% of these patients have seen three or more physicians since their pain began, searching for a caregiver who takes their pain seriously, who understands fully the impact that pain has on their lives, and who can treat their pain appropriately.
Atlanta Pain Doctors Pain Management
The Atlanta Pain Doctors believe that inadequate pain management is unacceptable medical practice. Pharmacologic, physical medicine and the latest neuromodulation protocols are utilized to provide the optimal pain relief. The Atlanta Pain Doctors approach pain management as a partnership with the patient to maximize pain relief, minimize treatment side effects and improve the quality of life. Effective pain management requires the active input and participation of the patient.