When we experience pain, our bodies react with a complex physiological response: heart rate quickens, respiration increases, muscles tense, and hormones are released. Should pain persist and remain unchecked, these physiological effects can put a strain on an individual’s health and well-being. What’s more, the stresses of discomfort often move beyond the physical to affect patients emotionally.
The Psychological and Physiological Effects of Persistent Pain
The psychological and physiological effects of persistent pain
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Impaired gastrointestinal function
Muscle spasms and muscle fatigue
Weakened immunity
Loss of appetite/ nausea
Irregular sleep patterns
Decreased mobility
Lethargy
Anxiety and depression
PAIN ASSESSMENT: Combating Discomfort with Understanding in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts
As pain and how it is experienced is subjective, it can be a difficult symptom to assess. What may be classified as manageable for one patient, may seem intolerable for the next and for this reason the caring and dedicated physicians of Pain Management Centers of New England allocate a significant amount of time and energy to the assessment of pain.
Interventional Pain Management: Used for both the diagnosis and treatment of pain conditions, interventional pain management encompasses a number of minimally invasive techniques that are performed on an out-patient basis at our state-of-the-art pain center.
Pharmacologic Pain Management: To reduce the intensity of pain, prescription and over-the-counter medications may be prescribed for acute and chronic pain control.
Physical & Rehabilitative Medicine: Working with a team of rehabilitative professionals, Pain Management Centers of New England develop physical and rehabilitative programs to increase strength, flexibility, and emotional health.