Sciatica is pain in the lower back or legs caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. The largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve stretches from the lumbar spinal cord in your lower back all the way down to your feet and is responsible for transmitting sensory information from these areas of the body. Sciatic pain is usually felt extending from the lumbar area to behind the thigh, and can even reach below the knee. In most cases is it felt on only one side of the body at a time.

Pain from sciatica can range from mild to severe, and it may feel like it’s radiating over a large area or be sharp and localized. Transitioning from sitting to standing and vice versa can trigger sharp sciatic pain, as can any sudden lower-back movement. Those suffering from sciatica can experience leg numbness, “pins and needles,” burning sensations, foot numbness, limping, and muscle weakness.

Common causes of sciatica are a herniated disk pressing on the nerve, trauma to the lower back, pregnancy, joint dysfunction, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolisthesis.

Herniated disc: This is one of the most common causes of sciatica. A herniated or bulging disc can cause disc material to push against a nearby nerve root, compressing the nerve tissue and causing sciatica. In addition to this pressure, a herniated disc also contains hyaluronic acid, which can cause nerve inflammation, compounding the pain from the compression.

Degenerative disc disease: Though the name is frightening, this is the most common cause of lower back and neck pain and is simply a byproduct of aging. One of the symptoms of degenerative disc disease is inflammation that can irritate the sciatic nerve. Another symptom is muscle spasms attributed to the body attempting to stabilize the spine to prevent additional damage, which can impinge on the sciatic nerve in the process.

Pregnancy: Weight gain and elevated fluid retention associated with pregnancy can compress the sciatic nerve where it passes through the pelvis. An expanding uterus can also compress the sciatic nerve at the base of your spine. In the third trimester, when the baby begins shifting into the birth position, its head can end up pressing against the nerve.

Spondylolisthesis: This condition is most prevalent in older individuals, characterized by the bones, joints and ligaments in the spine gradually weakening and losing their ability to keep the spinal column properly aligned. As these spinal components shift, they can encroach on the sciatic nerve, putting pressure on the nerve and causing pain when standing or walking.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

The sacroiliac joint connects the spine with the pelvis. Sciatic pain arising from sacroiliac joint dysfunction is not true sciatica, as it does not involve compression of the nerve root, but stems from joint inflammation that can irritate the nearby sciatic nerve. The symptoms, however, can be similar.

There are three million cases of sciatica in the United States each year. Sciatica is usually self-diagnosable and may not require lab tests or medical imaging. Some cases of sciatica can benefit from self-care treatments such as applying an ice pack to the affected area, regular physical exercise, and stretching. More serious cases may require physical therapy, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment. In addition to these physical treatments, some severe forms of sciatica may require an epidural steroid injection to alleviate the pain, pain medication, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants or analgesics like Tylenol.

Sciatica pain can last weeks or months, depending on the root cause and treatment used. There is no quick fix, but the right treatment and management can relieve the pain and allow the resumption of normal activities. For diagnosis and treatment recommendations, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho to schedule an appointment. Call (208) 629-2492.

Acupuncture is one of the most sought after natural treatment methods for a variety of medical conditions. The ancient practice that originated in China over 4,000 years ago has been found to calm and relax patients, fight allergies, and lessen chronic pain. Here are some of the ways that medical acupuncture treatment at Pain Care Clinic of Idaho could help you.

Improved Digestion

A 16th century Chinese doctor, Yu Jia Yan once wrote, “If the stomach is strong, life will be healthy. If the stomach is weak, life will be unhealthy.” Good digestion is the key to a long, healthy life. Acupuncture works to calm inflammation while also waking up body parts that are working less efficiently, making it a perfect treatment for digestive concerns. Stomach cramps, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome are some stomach concerns that may improve with the treatment of underlying digestive issues.

Less Chronic Pain

Acupuncture is most well-known as a natural form of pain relief. It can treat neck tension, low back pain, headaches, and chronic pain. These treatments increase mobility overall, but can also be used after an injury or accident to get you back on your feet faster. Acupuncture specifically encourages cortisol flow to painful spots, helping to mobilize joints and allowing some movement while relaxing and releasing muscles.

Acupuncturists will look at not only the site of your pain, but also surrounding areas that might be feeding the pain – such as tight feet or shoulders throwing off the hips or spine.

Fight Allergies

An allergic reaction occurs when our immune system responds to some allergen, such as pollen or pet dander. Acupuncture can calm that immune reaction and also help relieve symptoms like a runny nose and puffy eyes. Treating seasonal allergies early on in the seasons when you suffer most is an effective way to improve your quality of life during what would normally be a miserable time of year.

A 2008 study in Germany found those with allergic rhinitis (runny nose) who received 15 acupuncture treatments had better symptom control than those who did not receive treatment.

Increase Mental Health

Consistent and good acupuncture treatment by a trained professional will leave you deeply relaxed. That’s what makes it a natural choice for those looking to calm or cope with stress and concerns like insomnia or even addiction, anxiety, and depression.

According to traditional Chinese medical theory, mental illness occurs when there is an imbalance within the body. Acupuncture and oriental medicines were found to have the ability to detect energetic changes that occur in the body and relive symptoms, thereby restoring equilibrium.

Improve Sleep

Struggling to sleep at night is frustrating for many Americans. Additionally, insomnia has been linked to a number of other health problems, like heart disease and weight gain. Acupuncture’s ability to leave you more relaxed and less anxious may also encourage you to fall asleep more easily. If your insomnia is caused by chronic pain that keeps you awake or wakes you up throughout the night, acupuncture can be an effective treatment that ultimately allows you to find better quality sleep.

Acupuncture has also been shown to help manage sleep apnea, with targeted treatments strengthening the tongue. This treatment helps prevent the tongue from dropping back during the night and blocking your airway.

Regular acupuncture can identify imbalances and guide patients to move towards more optimal health. By stimulating the natural healing process of the body, acupuncture can safely, gently, and effectively manage many health issues in patients of all ages. Visit Pain Care Clinic of Idaho for more information about acupuncture or call for a confidential, no-obligation evaluation: 208-629-2492.

The Japanese traditional medicine style known as Kiiko Matsumoto (KM) is based on an interpretation of classic Chinese acupuncture. Through abdominal palpation, the use of reflex zones, shallow needling, and a unique set of tools (including diode rings and diode chains), KM provides a holistic approach to addressing chronic pain and other health issues.

Diode rings and diode chain therapies are noninvasive methods to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling, and accelerate healing. Diode rings and chains work with the ion flow of the body to produce a healing micro-current to reduce pain and promote healing. By strategically placing a diode ring or a series of diodes (which can be wrapped, say around a limb), treatment can direct the body’s own energetic current toward healing.

Diode Rings

A diode is an electrical component that conducts electricity in just one direction. According to ancient Chinese medicine, energy flows through the human body on pathways called meridians. The heart of acupuncture is to promote healing by restoring proper energy flow along those meridians. Diodes are used to manipulate and direct the flow of energy, just as they direct the flow of electricity.

“The use of the diode is like a “gate” that allows electrical energy (that exist in the body) to move in one direction and in a particular level. The use of these tools helps to move the stagnated energy (cause of the pain) from one area to another and balance the stagnated energy of the injured site,” according to the Integrated Medicine Institute.

Diode rings, diodes mounted on a copper ring are particularly effective at relieving inflammation, pulling out the energies causing inflammation as well as bruises, and bone and ligament issues.

Diode Chains

Diode chains can be rings that have been soldered together or individual diodes soldered on a chain, interspersed to optimize energy flow in the area of the body surrounded by the chain. Chains are specifically used on joints (where they can surround or wrap the joint), such as wrists, ankles, and knees where the target, inflamed area is too large for one or two rings.

Many people notice that wearing diodes helps reduce stress, fatigue, eyestrain, and other effects associated with prolonged stressors like sitting for periods, working on a computer, or typing. People also report reduced jet leg and reduced fatigue when traveling. Diode treatment has been found to assist in a number of health issues, such as promoting proper organ function and metabolic processes, reducing inflammation, and improving mobility.

At Pain Care Clinic of Idaho, our practitioners offer a range of drug-free treatments and therapies that will help you get quick and lasting relief from acute and chronic pain. We focus on providing real solutions and results. Discover how we can help with your condition and improve you quality of life with alternative medicinal therapies. Visit Pain Care Clinic of Idaho or call for a confidential, no-obligation consultation: 208-629-2492.

For those suffering from chronic or neuropathic pain, Scrambler® Therapy may offer relief in a way that no pain management treatment has been able to do before. This non-invasive treatment uses a special device that interrupts, or “scrambles,” the transmission of pain signals by stimulating nerve fibers to send non-pain signals instead. Scrambler Therapy claims a 90% success rate without requiring any surgery, though repeated treatment is necessary to obtain long-lasting results.

By overwhelming the nerves that transmit chronic pain information with what appears to be normal, non-pain electrical information, Scrambler Therapy can retrain the brain to believe there is no pain in the treatment area. This process of retraining is due to a phenomenon called brain plasticity or neuroplasticity. (The original meaning of “plastic” is moldable or changeable.) As medical researchers continue to learn how brain plasticity works, treatments that exploit it are becoming more common and more effective.

In a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Scrambler Therapy was used to treat patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. CIPN is a set of symptoms associated with damage to peripheral nerves (like those found in our arms and legs or used for bladder and bowel control) caused by chemotherapy or other drugs used to treat cancer. After ten days of treatment, patients in this clinical trial reported a 50% reduction in pain during treatment days. These patients self-reported weekly for ten weeks following treatment and these reports reflected an overall benefit from Scrambler Therapy.

Scrambler Therapy is being used to treat other types of neuropathic pain like chronic back or leg pain caused by sciatica, post-surgery nerve lesion neuropathy, lower back pain and more. Chronic pain can be frustrating due to its difficulty to treat with prescription drugs, invasive surgery or other standard treatments that might have negative side effects and may not resolve the problem in any case. Scrambler Therapy is non-invasive and it has no side effects.

Located in Boise, Pain Care Clinic of Idaho recommends six to ten Scrambler Therapy treatments over the course of two weeks. Patients can expect pain relief to last three to six months or longer based on the severity of the injury or condition. Our physicians are able to evaluate your pain and recommend an appropriate treatment path that may also include medication, activity, and diet instructions to ensure that you receive the maximum benefit from the therapy.

Ideal candidates for Scrambler Therapy include those who have been dealing with unbearable chronic or neuropathic pain and have exhausted all other options or wish to avoid invasive surgery or strong drugs. If you’re ready to learn more about Scrambler Therapy, call Pain Care Clinic of Idaho for an appointment: 208-629-2492.

Though chemotherapy can extend or even save the life of a cancer patient, some types of chemotherapy have side effects that can be severe and long lasting. Most types of chemotherapy drugs used today are poisons that have a difficult time telling the difference between cells in the body that are malignant and cells that are healthy. Chemotherapy side effects include a condition called peripheral neuropathy. About 40 to 70 percent of cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy get this condition.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is the pain, tingling, numbness or burning sensation that strikes areas of the body served by the peripheral nerves. These nerves receive signals from the central nervous system to hands, feet and internal organs. When this type of neuropathy happens as a result of chemotherapy, it is called chemotherapy associated neuropathy.

A patient can experience chemotherapy associated neuropathy at any point during the course of their treatment. Often, the symptoms worsen as the treatment goes on. The symptoms usually start in the patient’s toes and travel upwards.

Besides the chemotherapy side effects discussed above, the patient also experiences a loss of sensation that might make it hard for them to pick up items, button their clothes or do other tasks. They may not feel heat or cold properly. They have problems with their balance and may have episodes of lightning pain or what feels like electric shocks in their body. Other symptoms are:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Trouble urinating
• Pain in the jaw
• Trouble swallowing
• Poor reflexes
• Deafness or diminished hearing
• Unstable blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of position sense. This means the person have trouble telling where their hands or feet are in space.

Chemotherapy drugs that are implicated in neuropathy are:

• Paclitaxel
• Docetaxel
• Thalidomide
• Platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin
• Vincristine
• Eribulin
• Carboplatin

A patient who is suffering the effects of chemotherapy associated neuropathy should contact their doctor immediately. The doctor might be able to change the chemotherapy drug, adjust the dosage or suggest medications that can ease the patient’s pain and discomfort. Interestingly, the best drugs to treat the symptoms of neuropathy caused by chemotherapy are antidepressants and anticonvulsants.

Dietary supplements such as calcium, magnesium, glutathione and vitamin E might bring some relief. Some patients find relief in eating a diet rich in the B complex vitamins.

A person who is suffering from neuropathy should make their home safe for them to move about. They can install handrails and grab bars, make sure that hallways and rooms are well lit, adjust the temperature of their water heater to guard against scalding and make sure to always use potholders when handling pots and pans.

Scrambler Therapy

A technique called scrambler therapy has proven beneficial for some neuropathy patients. This therapy sends non-pain electrical impulses along the patient’s pain pathways. In one study, one group of patients reported a significant reduction in their pain after less than two weeks of scrambler therapy. There were even a few patients who had no pain at all from their therapy. None suffered side effects.

To learn more about treatment for chemotherapy associated neuropathy, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.

No one goes into a pregnancy thinking it is going to be a pain-free experience. Pregnancy discomfort is a fact of life. One of the problems with pregnancy pain is that many women are uncomfortable taking over-the-counter medicines, not knowing how much effect they will have on their unborn child. Acupuncture for pregnancy pain could be the solution for many common problems with pregnancy discomfort.

5 Common Ailments During Pregnancy

There are 5 common problems that most women experience sometime during their pregnancy:

• Morning sickness
• Headaches
• Sciatica
• Depression
• Insomnia

Many of these symptoms are the result of increased hormones in your body, particularly HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), the “pregnancy hormone.” Some pregnancy pain is a result of the normal stress and strain on your back and muscles as your weight and your center of gravity changes as your baby gets larger and heavier. Other symptoms are an unpleasant side effect as your body works to provide the proper environment for your unborn baby. Constant pregnancy pain and discomfort can be debilitating, especially if you are not comfortable taking over-the-counter medications that could also affect your unborn child.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Ancient Eastern medicine is based on qi (pronounced “chee”), energy that travels smoothly through subdivisions in the body called meridians. A disruption in this flow results in pain, discomfort, and disease. Inserting tiny needles releases these energy blocks and re-establishes normal qi flow, allowing the body to naturally heal itself.

Western practice also stimulates certain areas of the nervous system by inserting hair-thin needles just under the skin surface. This stimulates the nervous system to release hormones, endorphins, and other chemicals into the blood stream, spinal cord, and brain.

How Acupuncture Can Help

When these tiny needles are inserted into the skin, they stimulate deep-seated nerves to release different chemicals, including endorphins. Endorphins block pain signals in the brain. For example, targeting points on the wrist can help to reduce the nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness.

A study released by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology on pregnant women in their late 2nd and 3rd trimester seems to support that acupuncture can help with many of the problems associated with pregnancy. About 80 percent of the group treated with needles placed in the proper position reported a clinically significant reduction in pain. Compare this result with 56 percent of the women treated with random needles and only 36 percent of the women who were not treated at all.

Summary

Acupuncture for pregnancy has been shown to be a safe, gentle, and effective way to treat the normal discomfort and pain that comes with pregnancy with little risk. Find a professional who is trained and experienced in practicing acupuncture for pregnancy, and you could experience relief from normal pregnancy discomfort without fear of side effects that could harm your unborn baby.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help you, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.

Seasonal allergies affect about 20 percent of the American population. Millions of dollars are spent each season by people looking for allergy relief. If you are looking for a solution from the sneezing, runny nose, and itchy watery eyes, you might want to consider acupuncture.

How Allergies Affect Your Body

Some people are hypersensitive to specific airborne particles such as grass pollen, ragweed, and other weed pollens that are prevalent during spring and fall. Sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes are your body’s way of trying to get rid of these irritants. While many people try to treat their symptoms with both over-the-counter and prescription medicines, allergy shots, and even surgery in extreme cases, these treatment methods can come with unpleasant side effects. Studies have shown acupuncture to be a safe and effective treatment method that can significantly reduce or even eliminate dependence on other forms of treatment.

How Acupuncture Affects Your Body

This type of medicine has been practiced for a few thousand years in Eastern cultures. The Eastern thinking revolves around qi (pronounced “chee”), or energy flow. Normal qi travels smoothly throughout the body through subdivisions. When this energy flow is disrupted, the body reacts with disease and pain. Placing needles in the proper position corrects this disruption by releasing the energy blocks and re-establishing normal qi flow. This reboots the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Practiced in the U.S. since the 1970s, Western medicine has shown that these needles stimulate the nervous system to release hormones and endorphins. These chemicals are released into the blood stream, spinal cord, and brain, stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal. This results in physical and emotional well-being.

A Safe and Effective Treatment

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal showed promising results. In three different groups, the group that was treated with needles placed in the proper position showed more improvement than either the group with randomly placed needles or the group treated with just antihistamines. Most people treated by a proper acupuncturist as either the primary or a complementary treatment method showed a quick response and  were able to reduce their need for medication to treat seasonal allergies.

The needles used are hair-thin, FDA-approved, sterile, disposable, and made of solid steel. These tiny needles are inserted just under the skin at specific points. Adverse effects are rare, with fewer side effects reported than many of conventional drugs. Once the treatment has stimulated an adequate response, most people can be weaned off treatments.

Summary

If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, consider looking for an acupuncturist with experience and a good success rate with treating allergies. This practice has been growing in popularity. You might be able to find relief without the annoying side effects of conventional medicine.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help you, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.

Chronic pain sufferers everywhere are becoming more aware of the tremendous benefits that health maintenance can provide. By adhering to a healthy lifestyle, some types of chronic pain can be mitigated. There are many paths to success, including eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. While these practices are important, there is another vital piece of the puzzle that needs to be addressed.

This increasingly recognized therapy is commonly known as meditation. Practiced for millennia and widely studied in modern times, this sophisticated discipline has been shown to provide a wide range of benefits to adherents, including enhanced pain management. This article will introduce readers to the subject of managing chronic pain with basic meditation. It will also deliver a basic step-by-step startup guide to help pain sufferers reap the remarkable fruits of enhanced mental control.

Just What is Mindful Reflection?

Meditation is the general name for a number of mental or physical skills and practices that can alter mental states. By using the techniques that are described below, individuals can become more in tune with their inner material and spiritual states and can gain greater control over their bodily functions.

Basic Techniques

Here are some tried and tested yogic techniques that are known to promote relaxation, harmony, and pain relief. Set aside about 15 or 20 minutes for these pain relief techniques. While certain exercises can be performed just about anywhere, the following methods are best performed in a quiet and clean setting.

• Assume a relaxed position in a supportive seat, with the soles of the feet touching the ground.
• Passive awareness exercise. Allow your attention to be drawn to the details of your body, mind, and environment. Make observations without judgements.
• Deep breathing. Proper breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, releasing many therapeutic substances along the way. Practitioners should breath in and out slowly and rhythmically, making sure to allow the abdomen to move freely.
• Use a mantra. This can be any word or phrase that is significant to you. Speech can be synchronized with breathing for greater effect.
• Thought acceptance. Take note of the thoughts that pass through your mind without trying to address them. Observe as each one slowly floats away.
• Body scan. Focus your attention on different areas of your body in sequence.
• Final stretch. Take a moment to loosen up the major muscle groups to promote further relaxation.

Benefits of Mindfulness for Pain Management

Basic meditation has helped many people manage their constant pain, improving the quality of their lives in the process. Some other benefits include:

• Pain relief without the need for drugs. While opiate pain relief products have their place, they also have many well-documented and potentially dangerous side-effects. According to many studies, including one conducted at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, meditation can provide rapid pain relief that can supplement or replace drug therapies.
• Effective. Another related study at the same institution tested mindfulness against placebos. The results showed that practitioners of mental awareness and acceptance enjoyed greater pain reduction on average than the placebo recipients.
• Can provide lasting relief. One of the main dangers of opioid drugs are their tendency to lose effectiveness over time. Mindful reflection suffers no such constraints, and can be key to managing chronic pain over the long term.

To learn more about how to manage and relieve chronic pain, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.

Scrambler therapy is a form of pain management that uses a machine to block the body’s transmission of pain signals. This goal is accomplished by sending non-pain data to the nerve fibers that have been recipients of the pain messages. As an electro-cutaneous treatment, this form of therapy introduces a process called plasticity to retrain the brain so that it will not ascribe pain to the affected region.

The machine used to complete this form of therapy looks similar to the electrocardiogram machine. Leads are placed near the patient’s areas of chronic pain. An electrical signal from the normal tissue communicates a “non-pain” signal to the brain via the central nervous system that is specific to each individual. This signal is a synthetic signal of “non-pain” that the brain now recognizes as “normal self” because it travels the same pathways on the central nervous system that previously carried the “pain” message.

The treatment requires six to 10 visits to the clinic over about two weeks to retrain the brain’s perception of the signal. The pain relief can last three to six months, and if it returns, patients can receive booster treatments.

The first study regarding this type of therapy was published back in 2003. Led by Giuseppe Marineo, a group of researchers found that this form of therapy was effective in reducing pain for individuals who experienced severe levels of drug-resistant pain resulting from terminal cancer. The device used to complete the therapy attained clearance by the FDA for use in the United States. The device can be used for individuals experiencing pain from the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Arthritis
• Neck Pain
• Back Pain
• Phantom Limb Pain
• Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
• Cancer
• Chemotherapy

More About Us

The Pain Care Clinic of Idaho specializes in providing clients cutting edge, customized treatment services that alleviate pain and restore life. The clinic is multi-disciplinary and is pleased to utilize scrambler therapies. Dr. Boese earned his certification to offer Scrambler therapies in Rome from Professor Marineo. As a community of pain management professionals committed to operating in excellence, you can count on us to provide you with the dynamic, detailed services you need and deserve.

Chronic pain is a debilitating medical condition that affects a large number of people who, unfortunately, ignore the need to seek therapy. Chronic pain management involves the use of psychological and pharmacological therapies. When choosing pain clinics, there are certain factors you need to consider. These include the type of services offered, clinic culture, and the approach used in pain management.

Medical Approach Used

Every pain management clinic has its own unique approach. There are some that place more emphasis on remedies such as acupuncture, while others focus on using narcotics and other forms of medication. There has also been a growing number of licensed MDs who are opting to use a combination of different remedies. In this regard, you should consider the long-term and short-term consequences associated with an approach that will be undertaken by the practitioner. This will help you chose one that guarantees your physical and emotional comfort.

Services Offered

Due to advances in the pain management industry, there are licensed doctors whose specialty lies in a particular remedy or pain area. This is important because it can help you choose a practitioner best suited to handle your condition. Medical practitioners who offer treatment for all types of pain may not have the expertise to handle one particular pain area. A good pain management clinic should offer services that are tailored to address the specific needs of patients. Before settling on a particular facility, ascertain that the services it offers can help you overcome your condition.

Clinic Culture

This is one of the most important factors you must keep in mind when seeking treatment for chronic pain. Clinic culture basically refers to the manner in which medical practitioners working at the facilities handle patients. Seek advice from acquaintances who have undergone pain treatment in the past. Their experiences can help you pinpoint health facilities that have a strong clinic culture. Clinics that keep patients apprised about the interventions that will be used and those that seek the opinion of patients should be given priority. The reputation of a clinic is equally important.

When looking for a pain clinic, your family doctor should be the first person to consult. He or she can refer you to a clinic that addresses your particular condition. Local hospitals and medical centers have affiliations with pain treatment centers.

Once treatment begins, ensure that the practitioner seeks your consent before interventions such as acupuncture are carried out. Talk to the practitioner so that a treatment plan that suits your needs is devised. Generally, it is recommended that you choose pain management clinics that guarantee follow-up services once treatment has been completed.

If you have questions about how the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho works with patients, please call our office, 208-629-2492, or visit our website for more information.