TPC: Toronto Poly Clinic

Multi-disciplinary Pain Management Program

Pain Management Tips!

Dr. Kevin Rod's Pain Management tip:

April, 2006

The role of HOPE in chronic pain management:
Chronic pain is one of the most difficult medical conditions we can ever face in our lives. It affects any possible aspect of our personal, professional and social life. The pain and it's consequences can wrap us around so hard that we could not see the light of life and happiness anymore. This is the road to loose hope. We call it Catastrophization of chronic pain. It means that the pain has passed the line of being a warning signal for an injury or lesion and has reached the point of over shadowing all our existence. Loosing hope is the most important part of the battle that we may loose. Keeping hope is the essence of life with all it's joy and difficulties, ups and downs, comforts and PAIN.
NEVER LOSE HOPE, THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT, ALTHOUGH WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

March, 2008

Headaches are among the most common pain condititions. It is so common that it's importance is often neglected. There are few important points to remember:

Any major changes in severity of headaches needs to be investigated.
Any new major headaches needs to be investigated.
Ongoing use of pain killers can cause analgesic rebound headache.
Headaches can be secondary to other conditions like high blood pressure, stress, neck injuries, infections, etc. It is important to be thoroghly examined to rule out these conditions.
Migrain headaches need to be treated by preventative medications first or along with abortive pain killers to control the pain.
Don't let your headaches become chronic before you see your doctor.
Proper sleep, relaxation, daily exercise and proper diet are essential components of prevention and treatment of headaches.

January, 2006

There are many ways a cancer condition can cause pain. If the cancer is in the form of a tumor it can grow with a certain speed, which can, at times, be very fast. This rapid growth can cause pressure over the neighboring tissue. For example, in bone cancer or a metastasis of a tumor to bone, the growth can put pressure over the covering of bone or periost. This pressure can be very painful.
Tumors can grow, and at the same time die or be destroyed, at central parts or parts with impaired blood perfusion. These parts can release chemical substances that initiate a pain response. There are other ways a tumor or a cancer condition can cause pain, but what is important is how to control or manage cancer pain.
If a tumor is causing pressure and the pressure is causing pain, radiation therapy can be used to reduce the size of tumor, and therefore the pain from the pressure. Anti-inflammatory medications, co-analgesic medications and opiates can be used for management of pain. Procedures such as different nerve blocks can be used to reduce the pain.
Many new findings support the role for meditation, hypnotherapy and mind over matter techniques.
There are Natural medicine supplements which can reduce inflammation, help reduction of circulation to tumors, boost immune system and work as Anti-Oxidants. Each of these are steps in the fight to control the cancer pain. Our experience shows the best results would be from a combination of all these treatments in a Multi-Disciplinary setting. Toronto Poly Clinic is currently accepting new cancer pain patients.

November, 2005

Don't let your pain stay untreated. If you have back pain that bothers you every once a while, or a pinching type of pain in your neck, don't let it stay un-diagnosed for long. If a pain condition starts anywhere in your body, you should seek medical attention early. Early examination and investigation lead to rapid, correct diagnosis. This provides you with a better chance of your pain being treated and preventing it from becoming chronic. If the pain stays more than three to six months, the chance of having a chronic pain increases. Having a chronic pain is not a life sentence. There are many chronic pain conditions that can be treated if well investigated. The take home message is: Don't let your pain stay too long, do talk to your doctor about it.