Chronic pain can significantly disrupt your life, making even simple tasks feel monumental. The added challenge of traveling to appointments can exacerbate pain and create further barriers to effective treatment. For individuals seeking relief, the convenience of online pain management doctors becomes increasingly appealing, especially when considering access to necessary medications, including narcotics, for severe pain. UPMC Chronic Pain Telemedicine offers a solution, bringing expert pain management directly to your home, reducing travel burdens, and providing comprehensive care.
Understanding Chronic Pain Management Through Telemedicine
Managing chronic pain effectively often requires a multifaceted approach. UPMC embraces this holistic strategy, integrating various therapies to address pain from different angles. This comprehensive care model may include:
- Medications: Prescription medications, including narcotics when clinically appropriate, are a crucial component of pain management for many individuals.
- Physical Therapy: Exercise and physical therapy play a vital role in strengthening muscles and improving mobility, contributing to long-term pain relief.
- Nerve Block Injections: For targeted pain relief, nerve block injections can be administered to reduce pain signals. Note that these procedures typically require in-person visits.
- Psychotherapy: Chronic pain can take a significant toll on mental health. Psychotherapy offers strategies to cope with the emotional and psychological aspects of living with pain.
UPMC Chronic Pain Telemedicine leverages video visits to deliver many of these essential pain management services remotely. While certain procedures like injections necessitate in-person appointments, telemedicine is exceptionally effective for initial pain assessments, medication management, and ongoing follow-up care. Crucially, UPMC ensures seamless care by utilizing the same team of experienced doctors for both online and in-person consultations.
Here are specific chronic pain services available through UPMC’s virtual care platform:
- Initial Consultations: Begin your journey to pain relief with a comprehensive online consultation to determine the most effective treatment plan tailored to your needs.
- Pain Medication Adjustments: Conveniently manage your medication regimen with dosage adjustments conducted through secure video visits, ensuring optimal pain control.
- Home Exercise Programs: Receive personalized exercise plans and guidance to perform at home, empowering you to actively participate in your pain management.
- Online Psychotherapy: Access virtual therapy sessions to address the emotional and psychological challenges associated with chronic pain, enhancing your overall well-being.
- Follow-up Appointments: Stay connected with your care team through virtual follow-up visits to discuss progress, address concerns, and ensure your treatment plan remains effective.
- Connections to Non-Medical Treatments: UPMC can facilitate referrals to complementary therapies such as physical therapy and massage therapy, integrating a holistic approach to your care.
- Surgical Consultations: If surgery becomes a necessary option, telemedicine can provide initial surgical consultations and referrals, streamlining the process.
Telehealth for Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Lumbar degenerative disc disease, a common cause of lower back pain, arises from the breakdown of cartilage in spinal discs due to aging. This degeneration reduces the discs’ ability to cushion the spine, leading to symptoms such as:
- Numbness in the back and extremities
- Tingling sensations
- Persistent back pain
What to Expect in a Virtual Consultation for Lumbar Disc Disease
During a video consultation, your UPMC doctor will thoroughly assess your symptoms. If lumbar degenerative disc disease is suspected, imaging tests may be required to confirm the diagnosis. If you’ve already undergone an MRI or other scans, these results can be reviewed remotely during your virtual visit.
UPMC’s approach to lumbar disc disease treatment is comprehensive and integrated, aiming for lasting recovery. Treatment plans may involve:
- Medications: Oral medications and steroid injections can be prescribed to manage pain and inflammation. Narcotics may be considered for severe pain, prescribed responsibly and in accordance with clinical guidelines.
- Physical Therapy and Exercise: Targeted physical therapy and exercise programs are crucial for strengthening the muscles supporting the spine and promoting healing.
- Pain Psychology: Recognizing the link between pain and stress, online therapy with a pain psychologist can help manage the emotional impact of chronic pain and improve treatment effectiveness.
UPMC’s virtual care extends to long-term follow-up, ensuring your treatment plan remains effective and is adjusted as needed over months and even years.
Advantages of UPMC Chronic Pain Telemedicine
For many individuals with chronic pain, accessing specialized care involves significant travel. UPMC Chronic Pain Telemedicine significantly reduces these burdens, offering numerous benefits:
- Convenient and Timely Access to Experts: Connect with UPMC’s team of pain management specialists from the comfort of your home, saving valuable time and energy.
- Local Access to Testing and Services: While consultations are virtual, UPMC facilitates access to necessary tests and services closer to your home when in-person procedures are required.
- Efficient Follow-up Care: Address questions and concerns and manage your ongoing care through convenient video visits, eliminating the need for frequent travel.
- Reduced Time Away from Work: Minimize disruptions to your work life with virtual appointments that fit into your schedule more easily.
- Lower Travel Expenses: Significant savings on transportation costs associated with in-person medical visits.
- Decreased Pain and Stress from Travel: Avoid the discomfort and stress of prolonged car rides, which can worsen chronic pain conditions.
- Comprehensive and Integrated Care: Benefit from UPMC’s holistic approach, encompassing both medical and non-medical pain management strategies.
Who Can Benefit from Chronic Pain Telemedicine?
UPMC Chronic Pain Telemedicine is designed for individuals experiencing chronic pain, defined as pain lasting for three months or longer. Conditions treated include:
- Lower back pain and neck pain
- Cancer-related pain
- Nerve damage pain (neuropathic pain)
- Post-surgical pain
- Arthritis pain
- Pain associated with diabetes and other medical conditions
- Abdominal and pelvic pain
- Facial pain and migraine headaches
What to Expect During Your Virtual Pain Management Appointment
Prior to your scheduled video visit, a UPMC chronic pain team member will contact you to gather your medical history, including details about previous surgeries, treatments, and diagnoses.
During the virtual appointment, you will meet with a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and a board-certified pain management doctor. They will conduct a thorough assessment of your pain, discussing its nature, potential causes, and impact on your life.
Based on this evaluation, the telehealth team may recommend further diagnostic tests, such as an MRI, or they may have sufficient information to develop a personalized treatment plan. This plan often involves a combination of medication, which may include narcotics prescribed judiciously when appropriate, and non-medical therapies like physical therapy.
If a physical examination is necessary to confirm a diagnosis or for certain procedures, UPMC will schedule an in-person appointment at your convenience. Ongoing care and treatment adjustments are managed virtually, ensuring continuous support and effective pain management. Follow-up questions and concerns can be addressed through phone or video visits, providing accessible and responsive care.
Insurance Coverage
UPMC is affiliated with a wide range of major insurance providers. To ensure your plan covers telemedicine services, it is recommended to contact your health insurance company directly to confirm coverage details.
Schedule Your Chronic Pain Video Visit
Visit the UPMC Find A Doctor website to find pain management doctors and schedule your video visit today. You can also call 412-432-1760 for assistance.
