Pain Therapy: Pain Clinics in Germany

What Is Pain Therapy?

The word "therapy" comes from the Greek language (therapeía - to serve, to minister) and has come to describe a curative treatment in the meantime. Consequently, pain therapy stands for the treatment of pain.

It refers to both short-term and long-term treatment of both acute and chronic pain. The pain can be a symptom of various clinical pictures, but it can also have taken on its character.

When Does Pain Therapy Become Necessary?

As soon as pain occurs or it is foreseeable that it may occur. Pain can be understood as an indication of (potential) tissue damage, the cause of which should be considered and eliminated. However, this cannot always be achieved immediately or entirely. Not infrequently, doctors also cause situations in which pain occurs. If you put pain itself in the spotlight, you may find that it is accompanied by extremely unpleasant side effects such as tension, anxiety, nausea, sweating, and discomfort. It is among the doctors’ tasks to relieve pain in the best possible way. Currently, it is widely believed that early and sufficiently strong pain therapy prevents the development of chronic pain and, therefore, also the sometimes feared dependence on painkillers.

Which Type of Pain Syndromes Are Treated in Pain Therapy?

Combinations of specific symptoms that occur together are called syndromes. The term pain syndrome generally refers to a chronic perception of pain, which can refer to very different clinical pictures.

Pain syndromes can be roughly classified by their location and origin, such as headaches and facial pain, back and neck pain, joints, muscles, and soft tissues, tumor pain, visceral (which means affecting the intestines), neuropathic or ischemic (insufficient oxygen supply) pain, and in palliative situations. The reasons for these types of pain syndromes can vary depending on the specific disease. There are also special cases of pain syndromes such as CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome, subtypes also known as Sudeck's disease or causalgia).

What Procedures Are Used?

In general, medicinal, other conservative and invasive methods are used. The approaches and concepts are quite different and depend on the specific disease and the practitioner.

Drug therapy includes substances such as opioids, but also non-opioid analgesics (e.g., ASS), local anesthetics, and drugs that are otherwise used to treat seizures and depression, but which are also effective against pain.

A wide range of conservative therapies includes physiotherapy and occupational therapy, physical and manual therapy, and acupuncture and osteopathy.

Which Doctors Are Pain Specialists?

There is no separate training for pain medicine. But there are various additional training courses such as particular pain therapy.

Pain is treated in almost every field of medicine. In the case of complex incidents, multi-professional treatment is aspired, with medical staff from different specialized areas, such as psychologists, physiotherapists, etc.

Besides, there are pain clinics and practices, outpatient clinics, and care centers. Professional associations and pain conferences are supposed to serve as links.

Within medicine, primarily physical and rehabilitative medicine, orthopedics, anesthesia, and neurology concentrate on the pain.

We will help you to find an expert for your illness. All listed doctors and clinics have been checked by us for their outstanding specialization in the field of pain therapy and are waiting for your inquiry or treatment request.

Sources:

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schmerzmedizin e.V.
• dgschmerzmedizin.de
• Diener, H.-Ch./ Maier, Ch. (Hrsg.)(2009): Die Schmerztherapie, 3rd edition, Elsevier, München