Pain is a very common symptom and is one of the most frequent reasons for patients to seek medical advice. For some people it is a problem of a few days, while for others it is a persistent long-term condition with negative consequences on their quality of life. It can affect the physical activity, the ability to work and the mental health of the patient, with significant consequences for the family and society as a whole.

Pain management is individualized based on the needs, medical condition and special circumstances of every patient that is treated at a pain clinicand is seeking relief and often a solution to an endless vicious cycle of pain and anxiety or even depression.

At Creta Pain Clinic we offer a comprehensive range of pain management solutions, which include prescription medication along with complementary therapies in order to address the problem and improve your daily life.

Did You Know: "It is estimated that one in five adults will suffer with chronic pain at some point in their life."

What is pain?

Pain is a common experience among people, but its attribution always contains subjectivity. The scientific definition of pain is that it is "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with or resembling that associated with actual or potential tissue damage".

Pain is a signal from our nervous system to the brain that "something is wrong".Painkillers stop these messages before they reach the brain.

Acute & Chronic Pain

Pain in general can be mild and uncomfortable or excruciating. It can also be acute, such as the pain that accompanies e.g. an inflammation, an injury or surgery, which usually improves over time.

It can also be chronic when it lasts for more than 3 months despite medication and treatment or is the result of permanent tissue damage. It includes spinal pain, post-traumatic pain such as after amputation or surgery , pain associated with central or peripheral system damage after a stroke , diabetic neuropathy, or after shingles, pain accompanying a chronic condition such as arthritis, headaches, endometriosis, chronic pancreatitis and cancer pain that may be related to the condition itself or to treatment. Chronic pain may be continuous or it may stop and come back. It may be due to: · Spinal pain · Post-traumatic pain (such as after surgery) · Phantom limb pain (after a limb amputation) · Pain associated with central or peripheral system damage after a stroke · Diabetic neuropathy · Postherpetic neuropathy (shingles) · Pain due to a chronic condition such as endometriosis, arthritis or pancreatitis · Headaches · Pain related to cancer or cancer treatment

Causes

Sometimes the causes of pain are obvious, such as an injury from which one is recovering or a chronic condition such as cancer or arthritis. Often the cause of chronic pain is not obvious and this makes determining the best treatment difficult. At Creta Pain Clinic, Dr Kyriazis has specialist training in determining the cause of pain and developing a treatment plan to address the pain.

Event points

Patients may experience chronic pain in any part of the body. 

Common manifestations are the following:

• Joint pain (arthritis and muscle and joint injuries)
• Pain in the back
• Pain in the neck
• Pain due to a malignant tumour
• Headache (migraines)
• Muscle pain
• Musculoskeletal pains in the back
• Neurogenic pain
• Chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia, back pain, chronic tendonitis.

Low back Pain

Back pain, particularly lower back pain, is common. There are many possible causes. It is not always obvious what the cause is and sometimes it gets better by itself. Modern lifestyle has a significant share of responsibility for the onset of back pain. Physical activity (both too little, too much or a poor technique), obesity and smoking increase the chances of developing back pain:

Who it concerns

Anyone in pain can benefit from a comprehensive pain management programme and appropriate medication.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of chronic pain begins with a detailed medical history of the patient, gathering information about the type and intensity of the pain, where and how often it occurs and how much it affects the patient's life.

Medical history is followed by physical examination, additional blood tests, imaging (X-ray, MRI), reflex and balance tests, nerve conduction tests, etc. may be requested in order to identify the cause of the chronic pain if appropriate.

Drug treatment

The pharmaceutical management of pain is an important part of a comprehensive medical management program that Creta Pain Clinic can prepare for you and requires specialized scientific knowledge and experience.

At Creta Pain Clinic our main priority is the careful evaluation of the patient. Objective symptoms, physical activity limitations, the general health status of the patient including mental health, interactions with other medications he/she may be taking, as well as professional, family and social implications of the pain for the patient are always taken into account. The choice of the treatment plan and the prescription of medication shall always be made on the basis of absolute indications and in accordance with what is stated and prescribed in the international literature.

Great importance is always given to avoiding interactions with medication you may already be taking for other reasons and to achieving the optimal balance between benefit and possible side effects. 

Among the medications that may be included in the medical management plan are:

• analgesics
• antispasmodic
• antidepressants
• muscle relaxants
• corticosteroids
• opioids

The treatment of chronic pain aims first of all to identify the cause of the pain and to treat it. When this is not possible, a combination of drugs, treatments and lifestyle changes are used to manage it.

The aim of the scientific team of Creta Pain Clinic is to study your particularities and to propose your own strategy for dealing with pain.