Everyone experiences varying levels of pain throughout their life. Whether you get in a car accident, have a medical condition, or have an age-related illness causing you pain and discomfort, experiencing pain is a part of life. However, unfortunately, many people underestimate their pain symptoms, thinking that if they ignore their pain, it will simply go away on its own. While acute pain can heal and naturally go away on its own, more severe, chronic pain situations can be debilitating and significantly interfere with your overall health and quality of life.
If you are struggling with pain and discomfort, here are 5 signs it may be time to seek professional pain management treatment.
- Your Pain Affects Your Quality of Life
You should never have to compromise your quality of life and suffer through pain alone. No matter if you are struggling with chronic or acute pain, any pain that negatively impacts your quality life is a sign you need to seek professional pain management treatment. This is because this level of pain and discomfort will likely force you to modify your life around your pain symptoms and potentially even give up on some activities you used to enjoy because of your pain. - Your Pain Begins To Spread
If you notice your pain is starting to spread to other areas of your body, this is another essential sign you need to seek professional pain management treatment. This is because any pain that spreads will only worsen the issue and your pain symptoms. And, the worse and more expansive the area of pain becomes, likely the more difficult it may be to treat your pain. - You Experience Consistent Pain
If you experience consistent pain that lasts for several weeks to months, beginning as mild pain but has since grown more severe, consider seeking help from a pain specialist. This is because you may hope that your pain will decrease with time; however, gradually worsening pain symptoms over an extended period of time is a sign something worse may be the cause of your pain. - OTC Medications Are Not Effective
If you’ve been taking over-the-counter medications for your pain, and those OTC medications are not improving your pain symptoms, this is another essential sign you should seek professional help for your pain symptoms. This is because while OTC medications can be effective at reducing pain symptoms for minor injuries or conditions, OTC medication is not great for offering relief for long-term, intense pain symptoms. A professional pain specialist may prescribe you stronger pain medications to better manage your symptoms over the short-term, and then recommend other treatments like physical therapy to help reduce your pain over the
long term. - You Are Unable To Sleep
Finally, if your pain is negatively impacting your sleep, then it’s time to seek professional pain management treatment. Not being able to sleep because of your pain only inevitably worsens your pain symptoms because a lack of sleep typically results in worsening pain symptoms. Therefore, if you are losing sleep over your pain, consider seeking professional help to better manage your pain so you can get back to enjoying a restful night’s sleep.
Pain Management Hagerstown Maryland
Don’t let pain dictate your life any longer. At Pain and Spine Specialists of Hagerstown, Maryland, our board-certified pain management doctors in Hagerstown Maryland are ready to provide the comprehensive care you deserve. With personalized treatment plans and a compassionate approach, we’re committed to helping you regain control over your well-being. Schedule a consultation with our expert team today and embark on a journey towards a healthier, pain-free future. Your path to relief starts here.