Infusion Pain Treatment in Dallas-Fort Worth

Improving quality of life by alleviating chronic pain.

What is Infusion Pain Treatment?

Infusion pain treatment is the use of intravenous (IV) medications to treat sources of chronic pain.

Benefits of Infusion Pain Treatment

Applications for Infusion Pain Treatment

The National Institutes of Health has referred to chronic pain as a “silent epidemic” which takes a severe emotional, physical, and financial toll on millions of people.1 Conditions such as fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, phantom limb pain, diabetic neuropathy, stroke, spinal cord injuries, and post-herpetic neuralgia can have debilitating impacts on a person’s social and professional life and contribute to up to $635 billion in annual healthcare costs and lost wages in the United States alone.2

Infusion pain treatment has proven to be an effective means for reducing chronic pain caused by these and other conditions and can greatly improve a patients’ quality of life and ability to function on a daily basis. Infusion pain therapy may also help to eliminate dependence on opioid pain medications for many patients.

At Mind + Body Medicine in Dallas-Fort Worth, Dr. Howard Cohen utilizes the latest techniques in holistic healing to guide patients to relief from chronic pain. Infusion therapy is especially beneficial in the treatment of pain arising from the peripheral and central nervous system, musculoskeletal pain, and pain radiating from abdominal and pelvic organs.

Among the many sources of chronic pain for which infusion pain therapy is effective are:

  • Migraine headaches
  • Intractable headaches
  • Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Phantom limb pain
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Post-herpetic Neuralgia
  • Post-stroke pain
  • Facial pain
  • Cancer pain
  • Pelvic pain
  • Peripheral nerve injury
  • Post-surgical pain

Medications used in Infusion Pain Treatment

In addition to encouraging the use of complementary therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, acupuncture, and brain stimulation to help patients overcome chronic pain, Dr. Cohen also prescribes a customized combination of medications tailored to each patient’s unique diagnosis, genetic factors, individual response, sex, and weight. Medications used during infusion pain treatment may include:

Ketamine

Ketamine can help prevent the nerves from putting out pain signals and many of Dr. Cohen’s patients report an immediate reduction in chronic pain symptoms after a single ketamine infusion treatment. Ketamine is also beneficial in the treatment of depression and PTSD, and can help to reboot tolerance to opioid medications.3

Lidocaine

Lidocaine is an effective treatment for many chronic pain conditions and works by blocking pain signals emitted from the nerves.

Toradol

Toradol helps decrease swelling and pain by blocking the body’s production of substances responsible for inflammation.

Dexmedetomidine

Dexmedetomidine can help reduce the effects of traumatic stress and medication withdrawal by promoting muscle relaxation and diminishing the effects of nervous system overstimulation.

Robaxin/Norflex

Robaxin and Norflex are muscle relaxers that can be beneficial in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and muscle spasms.

Pamidronate

Pamidronate is very effective in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome, lower back pain, and bone pain.

In addition to the above-mentioned medications, Dr. Cohen may also provide additional analgesia, nervous system stabilization, and treatment of chronic pain or fatigue with vitamins and minerals, including: N-acetylcysteine and acetyl-L-carnitine This often helps Dr. Cohen’s patients achieve enhanced nerve growth, restore nervous system balance, and mitigate some effects of inflammation and aging.
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Infusion and Chronic Pain Treatment in DFW

Intravenous infusion pain therapy at Dr. Cohen’s offices in Dallas-Fort Worth generally lasts 2 hours, though treatment may be shorter or longer depending on the patient’s unique needs. Dr. Cohen asks his patients to arrive on an empty stomach and encourages them to nap, listen to music, or relax during their treatment. The frequency and duration of each patient’s infusion pain treatment is carefully monitored and adjusted to ensure proper dosing and optimal results.

If you or your loved one has suffered from chronic pain, infusion pain therapy may be the solution you’ve been seeking to restore function and improve quality of life. To learn more about your treatment options, please contact us to schedule a consultation.

References:
1 Lippe PM, Brock C, David J, Crossno R, Gitlow S. The First National Pain Medicine Summit--final summary report. Pain Med. 2010;11:1447–1468.
2 Kosharskyy B, Almonte W, et al Intravenous infusions in chronic pain management. Pain Physician. 2013 May-Jun; 16(3):231-49
3 Cleveland Clinic. When Nothing Seems to Help Your CRPS, Ketamine Pain Treatments May Bring Relief. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-nothing-seems-to-help-your-crps-ketamine-pain-treatments-may-bring-relief. Accessed March 30, 2020