Are you in pain?  There are eight trained, health professionals ready to assist on a given day. They are trained to know means and medications that treat the causes and symptoms of pain.

Your family physician (MD) can prescribe treatments to heal an injury or illness and manage its related pain. He or she can also refer their patients to specialists who can manipulate the physical body thru exercise or chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, gene therapy, relaxation therapy, meditation,or surgical intervention.

A registered pharmacist (RPH) of a doctor or pharmacy (DPH) knows about prescribed medications as well as those one can pick off the shelf in grocery stores or pharmacy.

A dentist can offer dental treatments, antibiotics and medications to solve mouth health issues.

A pain management physician (MD) can assist with long term or continual pain.

A naturopathic doctor (ND) can assist by using natural substances such as herbs and dietary supplements.

A physical therapist (PT) or a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) will aid a person thru exercise and movement training.

A chiropractor can assist by adjusting one's body alignment.

Each of these health professionals has a different outlook on pain relief or management. Each can select a means to dissipate that pain. Controlling pain should start at its outset.

Pain relief can come in varied forms. Some examples of treatments for pain relief are:

1.      Washing an injured area, treating with an antiseptic and covering with a bandage.

2.      Taking a prescribed or over the counter substance daily, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen.

3.      Extracting a tooth or having a root canal procedure.

4.      Taking a prescribed substance into one's joints.

5.      Submitting to surgery to treat back, dental or joint pain.

Also of great significance is that each patient should understand their treatments.

We should ask questions to understand the risks and benefits clearly for a particular procedure or treatment. It is important to ask whether the pain that one experiences currently will be eliminated by the suggested treatment. If not, how much of the pain that we have right now will remain? Will I always have this pain? Will it be temporary, intermittent or continual after the suggested treatment?

If this suggestion includes prescribed medicine, ask questions about that medicine. what will it do? How often and how long will I have to take it? What are the side effects of this medicine? Which side effects are most common? Is this an addictive substance? How long can I take it before facing becoming addicted? Can you give me something that works as well for pain without addiction as a possibility?

The registered pharmacist (RPH) or doctor of pharmacy (DPH) can answer questions about medications, herbs and dietary supplements. They can notify us of drug interactions and possible allergic reactions. They can advise how to take these substances. Here are some examples of comments I have heard: take this with or without food, avoiding alcohol, avoid certain foods, eat a big potatoe when taking the strong NSAIDS,  drink a full glass of water with this pill or take this pill on an empty stomach.

When we ask questions of these expert professionals, we can understand the scope of our issue with clarity. They are often quite glad to be of assistance. Here's to good health!