In your journey to live as well as you can live, you may seek other treatment in place of, or in addition to medication and/or surgery through traditional medical practitioners. Some are described below: (Treatments provided through non-traditional practitioners are reviewed in the next page.) Graham—I’m not sure if “page” is the correct terminology for what follows after this little section.
Botox (Botulinum Toxin) Injections
Injections of the toxin botox to temporarily reduce pain, lasting on the average of six months.Nerve Blocks
Use of a drug, chemical or surgery to stop a nerve signal from getting through the brain; used for temporary relief. (When I spoke with physicians I was given estimates from 2 months to 4 years, saying the treatments were very individualistic and successive treatments could be tweaked and improved upon, increasing the duration of pain relief.)Laser Therapy (also called Violet Light, Low Level, Cold, LILT, or Light Therapy)
Therapy using beams of highly focused laser light that has been shown to help with tissue repair.Pulsed Radiofrequency or TENS unit (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator)
Both utilize low doses of electricity, aimed at interfering with the “jamming” nerves pain signals to the brain.Physical Therapy
M ay be used to improve muscular and skeletal response to pain through exercise and manipulation.Dietary Therapy
May provide help with discerning the kinds of foods which result in more or less pain; and the development of an eating plan tailor made for your unique needs.Counseling
May help you to manage the emotions involved with having a serious illness, and create strategies for positive and healthy living.Occupational Therapy
May help with lifestyle adaptations for better ease in movement, or other adjustments to accommodate your pain.Questions to Ask:
These treatments may be less regulated than standard medication and surgical treatments, so you will be wise to ask questions to help you make good decisions. Here are some sample questions:
- Please provide me with a general overview of the treatment’s principle goals and including why and how it works? (Hopefully, you can be given/sent a brochure or to a website for explanation.
- Why did the physician/practitioner begin offering this treatment?
- What kind of degree does he/she have?
- How long has he/she been providing this treatment?
- What possible negative side effects could occur? How could they be treated if they happen?
- What research has been done? Will you give me copies of this to review?
- Can I expect my insurance to cover a percentage of this cost? Do you have any suggestions regarding how to best apply for coverage?
- Will you offer any kind of discount fee for a package of treatments, rather than a pay-as-you-go scale?
