Pain is among the most common health problems. Many who suffer from it, particularly chronic pain, can get relief from pain management, a short and minimally invasive procedure.
Dr Sanjay Bakshi, interventional pain management specialist specialising in treating neck and back pain, physician in the department of Pain Management and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York spoke to DNA about pain management
What is pain management?
Earlier, a lot of doctors used to think that pain is all in the head. That is not true. Pain, particularly chronic pain in the back, neck, pain due to slipped disc, spinal sinosis, pain post spine surgery or pain shooting down the arm, which lasts over a long period of time, can be debilitating. Pain management can relieve all of these. It involves short minimally invasive procedures, which take just five to ten minutes. In India, the cost varies from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000.
Who will it benefit?
Young patients can opt for it. Also, this is a very good treatment for certain older patients who are not fit for surgery. Basically, anyone who has suffered pain for over four weeks can opt for this procedure when medications fail to help.
What is the cause of such problems?
It is a combination of factors; sedentary lifestyle, genetics, not doing enough physical activities or doing very hard manual labour all day long, degenerative changes in the spine etc could cause chronic pain in the back and neck. Most common patients are those in mid-thirties to above seventy.
What are the advancements in this field?
The procedures are now done under x-ray guidance, which enables precision. Since there is a co-relation between pain and depression, there are medications pertaining to the same. Most common doctors who do this are anaesthetists but now there are other doctors also, including neurologists, rehabilitation specialists who are also doing this procedure.
What is the purpose of your visit to Mumbai?
I am the international president for the Global Update on Pain (IV) 2009 conference, which will be held at Bombay Hospital from November 13 to 15. I will also be hosting a cadaver workshop on November 12, where doctors in Mumbai will be taught new techniques of treating pain. Apart from this, I am also holding a camp with the help of Pain Clinic of India at Kemps Corner, where we will see patients from November 9 to November 17.
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