Chronic pain is pain that continues beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or illness, or that goes on for months or years due to a chronic condition. While the pain may not be constant, it can interfere with daily life, as is the case with approximately 100 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain.
Dr. Wesley Merritt, a physician and pain management specialist at MMH, understands how difficult it can be to both diagnose and treat patients suffering chronic pain. When attempting to root out the cause of the pain, Dr. Merritt believes the crucial first step toward treatment is to obtain a history of the problem and do a proper physical examination, along with appropriate imaging studies, if necessary. According to Dr. Merritt, “Proper diagnosis is crucial. Without it, appropriate treatment is elusive.”
Once a diagnosis is reached, a treatment plan is then created. Treatment plans can vary widely between each patient and each diagnosis and may include anything from cortisone shots for back pain sufferers to a radiofrequency rhizotomy for chronic pancreatitis pain.
According to Dr. Merritt, who has been in private practice for over eight years, most of the pain physicians at MMH utilize spinal cord stimulation for chronic neuropathic pain and low back pain, which has been known to seriously change patients’ lives. This implanted device uses an electrical signal to produce a tingling sensation in an arm, leg or low back and disrupt pain signals.
Dr. Merritt believes that MMH is unique in that a significant amount of the facility is devoted to pain management. His patients look forward to coming to MMH to have procedures done because, in addition to MMH being a “well-oiled machine,” patients receive excellent care from wonderful people from start to finish.
To learn more about pain management at Methodist McKinney Hospital, please call 972-569-2700.
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