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Pain Management

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How Does Pain Management Work?

Pain is our body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. It is a common symptom of many illnesses and injuries and acts as a deterrent for certain behaviors that might exacerbate the issue.

However, continuous pain becomes unnecessary after we understand the underlying problem. For example, if we have a broken arm, we no longer need to feel pain once we receive the proper treatment.

Pain management helps patients comfortably heal while recovering from injury or illness.

Table of Contents

Pain During Treatment

Treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy can cause pain while addressing severe and debilitating illnesses. Although these treatments are essential for tackling the underlying disease or injury, the pain they cause can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life.

Pain management can help reduce the side effects during the process. This is essential because uncontrolled pain prevents patients from working productively and enjoying recreation even when the underlying disease process is stable.

The Role of Pain Management

Effective pain management is crucial in helping patients comfortably heal while recovering from injury or illness. By alleviating pain, we can:

  1. Enhance Recovery: Proper pain management can accelerate healing, allowing patients to regain strength and function more quickly.
  2. Improve Quality of Life: Managing pain effectively enables patients to engage in daily activities and maintain a better quality of life during their recovery.
  3. Prevent Chronic Pain: Addressing pain early and effectively can prevent the development of chronic pain conditions that may persist long after the initial injury or illness has healed.
Role of Pain Management

Types of Pain

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is the persistent presence of pain in the body, lasting at least  12 weeks (3 months) or more. It can stem from a variety of causes, including:
  • Past injuries
  • Nerve damage
  • Recent surgery
  • Infections
  • Other underlying factors

Chronic pain often continues even after the initial source has healed, making it a challenging condition to manage. In some cases, the exact cause of chronic pain remains unknown, adding to the complexity of treatment.

Understanding and addressing chronic pain is crucial for improving the quality of life for those affected.

Acute Pain

Acute pain is characterized by a sudden and sharp onset, often resulting from injury or bodily harm. Situations like surgery and dental work, although intended to address more significant issues, can also cause acute pain.

Fortunately, acute pain is typically short-lived, lasting less than 12 weeks (3 months). Once the pain subsides, patients can generally return to their usual activities, allowing for a swift recovery.

Types of Pain

Treatments for Pain

Managing your pain with the guidance of medical professionals can significantly enhance your quality of life while remaining as safe as possible.

Whether it’s chronic or acute pain, a tailored strategy is often necessary to effectively reduce pain levels, recognizing that each person’s experience of pain is unique.

Optimal treatment may involve a combination of pain-relieving medications, including:
  • Some antidepressants
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antiarrhythmics
  • Anesthetics
  • Antiviral agents
  • NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonists

Physicians have found that combining various agents of different mechanisms to alter pain sensation allows for smaller concentrations of each medication. This approach can thoroughly manage pain while minimizing potential side effects.

Treatments for Pain

Topical Anesthetics

Topical and transdermal creams and gels are excellent options for pain management, offering high local concentrations at the application site. For instance, NSAIDs can be formulated for joint pain, while a combination of medications can be compounded for trigger point application to manage neuropathic pain.

Additionally, compounding pharmacies create these formulations in a base that allows systemic absorption, providing versatile treatment options.

Pain medication taken orally often comes with side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, and even addiction. Topical administration helps avoid these side effects. Studies suggest that most drugs can be incorporated into a compounded transdermal gel. Unlike oral medications, transdermal drugs are not absorbed through the gastrointestinal system and do not undergo first-pass hepatic metabolism.

Transdermal pain medication has the potential to address the opioid crisis by:
  • Reducing adverse effects
  • Increasing patient compliance
  • Limiting exposure to addictive drugs

This method offers a promising alternative for managing pain with fewer side effects, contributing to safer and more effective pain management solutions.

Topical Anesthetic

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and lower fevers. They are commonly available over the counter and include popular options like ibuprofen, naproxen, and high-dose aspirin.

While useful, oral NSAIDs may cause side effects such as indigestion, stomach aches, and even stomach ulcers. Prolonged use or higher doses increase the risk of these side effects.

To address these issues, we compound NSAIDs with other medications to treat various conditions, including autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, and depression.

Additionally, we can formulate NSAIDs into transdermal creams, allowing for a more targeted approach to pain relief and bypassing many of the gastrointestinal side effects associated with oral NSAIDs.

This method enhances patient comfort and compliance while providing effective pain management.

NSAIDs

Ketamine

Recent studies indicate that ketamine can reduce neurogenic pain and has anti-inflammatory effects.

When used in low doses over two weeks, ketamine applications can lead to long-lasting pain relief benefits. However, like any medication, ketamine can cause side effects such as:
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Psychedelic symptoms
  • And cardiovascular stimulation

Compounding ketamine with other medications can mitigate these side effects. For example, benzodiazepines can reduce the psychotropic effects of ketamine.

Topical formulations of ketamine provide another option for managing localized pain with minimal to no systemic side effects, offering targeted relief directly at the site of discomfort.

This approach enhances patient comfort and may improve treatment adherence.

Learn More About Ketamine for Pain

Ketamine

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

Naltrexone was initially approved to treat disorders such as alcoholism and opioid addiction. Its primary function in the body is to block opioid receptors.

At lower doses, naltrexone has shown promise in managing pain. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has carved out a niche as a non-addictive alternative to opioids. By blocking opioid receptors, LDN helps alleviate pain without the risk of addiction.

LDN works by inhibiting glial cells, which reduces inflammation and subsequently mitigates pain. While commercially available naltrexone is typically in 50 mg doses, compounding pharmacies customize LDN into lower doses tailored to individual patient needs.

LDN Pain Management

Lidocaine and Prilocaine

Lidocaine and prilocaine are commonly used as local anesthetics in creams and topical gels applied to the skin.

These drugs work by numbing the nerve endings in the area where they are applied, making them ideal for procedures like injections or wart removal.

While generally safe, a lidocaine and prilocaine topical cream may cause minor side effects such as redness, a burning sensation, or swelling at the application site.

If these side effects persist or worsen, discontinue use and consult your doctor or pharmacist for guidance.

Lidocaine and Prilocaine

Creative Solutions for Pain

Pain can be a tricky symptom to address. Disorders such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) can be hard to pin down. Our compounding pharmacy gives you a gamut of resources in order to find the best possible solution.

Our pharmacist, Rachel Burns, talks more about how compounding pharmacies are especially equipped to handle pain symptoms:

Green Leaf

We Can Help with Pain Management

Your pharmacist is an excellent resource for pain management. We work with your doctor to ensure your plan and strategy are tailored to your needs.

ClearSpring pharmacy can provide traditional prescriptions as well as compounded medications. This means we can develop the drug you need in the form you’d like. Whether it needs to be applied transdermally, orally ingested, or even in a suppository.

Check us out today! Give us a call in Littleton or Denver. Or fill out the form on this page! Our response times are generally within one business day.

You can also shoot us a text:
Littleton: (303) 707-1500
Cherry Creek: (303) 333-2010

Or even reach out on any of our social media profiles! We make it easy to connect.

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Cherry Creek
201 University Blvd. #105 Denver, CO 80206
Call/Text: 303-333-2010
Fax: 303-333-2208
HOURS

Monday – Friday: 10AM – 6PM
Saturday: 10AM – 2PM

Littleton

8031 Southpark Circle Suite B
Littleton, CO 80120

Call/Text: 303-707-1500
Fax: 303-707-1717
HOURS

Monday – Friday: 9AM – 6PM
Saturday: 9AM – 1PM

Long-Term Care
8031 Southpark Circle Suite A Littleton, CO 80120
Call/Text: 303-795-4300
Fax: 303-795-5849
HOURS
Monday – Friday: 8AM – 5PM
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DISCLAIMER: A prescription from a licensed practitioner is required for compounded medications.

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