When I was young, uh, my mother worked really hard.
She used to clean houses, um, and used her hands a lot.
She ended up getting arthritis very early in life, so, I got to see kind of firsthand
how pain could affect someone.
When I think about a patient with pain, it is something that's very personal to them.
I need to let the patient tell me their story, and how they're managing with the pain from day to day.
I need to know where it is, what type of pain it is so I can help them come up with a good treatment plan.
Since I finished, uh, residency and my training, what I've seen with prescription painkillers
is kind of a full 180.
Most, uh, healthcare organizations are really, um, taking a strong stance on not prescribing these medications.
Long-term use of them, um, can lead to things like problems with constipation, uh, problems with, um,
memory, uh, thinking clearly, being able to make good decisions.
Some of your other options besides the typical prescription drug medications
are going back and forth between ice and heat. If the pain persists, then I start suggesting
things like massage, acupuncture, chiropractic depending on the type of injury, and
using a combination of things to get their pain under control.
I believe that it's important for a patient to ask questions, especially in the realm of pain management.
Only a patient knows their own body, and I'm just here as a guide
to try to help patients make the most informed decisions.