Pain Management (See also, Massage Therapy)

The Management of Acute and Chronic Pain For thousands of years, doctors have been helping to relieve their patients' pain with a variety of medications and treatments. Like other areas of medicine, a new subset of doctors have become specialists in treating pain. They are focused on managing all types of pain - studying what causes it, how the body reacts to it, how different medications dull or eliminate the pain, and how other treatments can be used to relieve many painful conditions.

Our center specializes in the management of pain. Dr. Cichowicz is a Diplomate with the American Academy of Pain Management. The doctor has been treating various types of pain for almost 30 years.

But not everyone realizes that decades of research and work have led to the development of newer, more effective treatments for patients who have pain unrelated to surgery. Many techniques used to make surgery and childbirth virtually painless are now being used to relieve other types of pain.

Frequently the pain specialist and doctors work together to help you manage your pain. They all work together to evaluate your condition. Then the pain specialist will develop a treatment plan designed just for you.

When would I need to see a pain medicine doctor?

People develop pain for many reasons. Pain from a recent surgery, injury or medical illness is called acute pain. In many cases, this pain can be managed immediately and will usually get better in just a short time.

However our center treats patients with acute care by using certain treatments that can reduce your pain by 50% after the very first treatment. For more serious pain, however, your primary care doctor may ask a pain medicine doctor to help manage your pain while you are healing.

If your pain persists after the healing process should be over, you might have what is called chronic pain. If the current treatment you are receiving stops working or your pain begins to get worse over time, your primary care doctor may suggest that you see a pain medicine doctor.

What does a pain medicine doctor do?
Can these doctors find out why I hurt?

Pain medicine doctors are experts at evaluating why you are having pain as well as treating the pain itself. Some of the more common pain problems they manage include: arthritis, back and neck pain, nerve pain, migraine headaches, shingles, neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, shoulder, knee, ankle and foot pain.

They also manage acute pain caused by surgery, a debilitating illness or a serious injury. Examples include: pain after a knee-joint replacement, pain during recovery from a car accident or a work related accident. The pain medicine doctor will work closely with your primary care doctor.

• Pain management doctors will review your medical records and X-rays as needed.
• They will ask you to describe your pain in detail, such as where it hurts, for how long, what makes the pain worse or what makes it feel better.
• They may ask you to fill out a detailed questionnaire that helps them to assess the impact that your pain is having on your lifestyle and if it is interfering with your daily activities.
• They also will do a complete orthopedic and neurological evaluation on you.
• They may need to order other tests and will then review all of their findings to determine what is causing your pain and how the problem can be corrected.

Treatments for Managing Pain

Medication alone may not be enough to manage certain kinds of pain. Some medicines are more effective in fighting pain when they are combined with other methods of treatment. In some cases, the patient's pain condition may respond to treatment instead of medication. In fact, for some patients, certain therapies may eventually replace the need for taking any pain medicine, or less of it, over time. Here are just some of the available treatments being used successfully to treat pain patients.

Physical and aquatic therapy - The pain management specialist may suggest an exercise program tailored for you that will increase your daily functioning and decrease your pain. Other treatments may include whirlpool therapy, ultrasound and deep-muscle massage.

Electrical stimulation - We are using the latest equipment for pain reduction including laser, auricular therapy,   We have found that many sources of pain derive from unhealthy nerves, not unhealthy muscle, bones, or organs.  Our center also has available TENS, Interferrential Therapy, and we are constantly reviewing and evaluating all new therapies so that we can offer the very best and the very latest technologies to our patients.

Laser Treatment - This practice uses a cold laser to treat specific points on the skin to decrease pain.

Psychological support - Many patients who are in pain feel the emotional effects of suffering along with the physical aspects of pain. These may include feelings of anger, sadness, hopelessness or despair. In addition, pain can alter one's personality, disrupt sleep, interfere with work and relationships and often have a profound effect on family members. Support and counseling from our Life Coach, combined with a comprehensive pain treatment program, may be needed to help you manage your condition. These trained professionals also can teach you additional self-help therapies such as relaxation training or biofeedback to relieve pain, lessen muscle spasms and reduce stress.

Pain Treatment Centers

Because this is a highly specialized field of medicine that is still growing, not every community has a pain treatment center yet. These centers are called by many different names, including: pain clinic, pain management center, pain center, and pain unit or pain service. Our Centre offers many modalities to help reduce various forms of acute and chronic pain.

Throughout the generations, pain has been a unique, often misunderstood condition that affects every age, gender, ethnic and social group all over the world. It can occur for many reasons, and there is no one "silver bullet" that can cure pain. Yet great progress in pain medicine has been made in recent years and is expected to advance further as doctors learn more about the causes of pain.

Dr. Cichowicz is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management.

Massage Therapy

MASSAGE/BODY WORK The basic goal of massage therapy is to help the body heal itself and to increase health and well-being. Stress takes a detrimental toll on the body. According to the American Medical Association's website, stress is the cause of up to 85 percent of all human illness and disease, and each week 95 million Americans suffer from stress-related symptoms. In our fast-paced society, there are obvious benefits to lying still, calm and quiet on a massage table.

In addition to that, touch conveys a sense of caring, which is beneficial in the release of stress. When a muscle is stressed, circulation is reduced and both oxygen and nutrients are blocked.

Pain usually results when muscles are overworked, causing the buildup of waste products such as lactic acid to accumulate in the muscle. The result is soreness, stiffness and even muscle spasm. Massage and bodywork improve circulation and increase blood flow, thereby bringing fresh oxygen to the muscles. This can help eliminate waste products, speed up the healing process after and injury, and enhance recovery from disease. It may also release stored toxins, which is why your massage therapist will recommend flushing out your system with plenty of water after a session.

Research has shown that massage therapy helps relieve stress, aids in relaxation, relieves muscle tension and stiffness and increases flexibility and range of motion in joints.

We offer:

• Relaxation massage:  Swedish, Esalen, Hot Stone Massage
• Therapeutic massage:  Deep Tissue, Sport, Neuromuscular Therapy
• Medical massage: Specialized Techniques: Post Injury, Spasms, Pregnancy Massage etc.

Appointments are available anytime during regular business hours.

PRICE LIST

• 30 Minute Session $40.00
• 60 Minute Session $70.00
• 90 Minute Session $110.00

For more information or to set up an appointment, please call:
(630) 833-4007 - Villa Park Office
(773) 878-4000 - Lincoln Square, Chicago