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Medications Management Specialist

Comprehensive Pain Management

Pain Management & Anesthesiology located in Attleboro, MA, Franklin, MA, South Kingstown, RI & Warwick, RI

Opioid medications and other prescription pain relievers can be a powerful tool at managing chronic pain. But Do Chan, MD, MBA, and Boris Shwartzman, MD, and their team at Comprehensive Pain Management take them very seriously due to their potentially addictive properties. At Comprehensive Pain Management, Dr. Chan and Dr. Shwartzman offer medication management as part of your comprehensive pain treatment plan to ensure optimal results during your care. To schedule an appointment in Attleboro or Franklin, Massachusetts, or South Kingstown or Warwick, Rhode Island, call Comprehensive Pain Management or today.

Medications Management Q & A

What are opioids?

Opioids, or opiates, are a type of controlled substance used to manage pain. In a prescription form, opioid medications include hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. The illegal drug heroin is also an opioid.

While opioid medications can offer benefits as a pain relieving tool because of the way they interact with your nervous system, they also come with several risks because of their addictive nature.

What are the risks of opioids?

Many prescription and illegal opioid medications trigger an emotional and physical response that can cause dependence.

With regular use, your body becomes more tolerant to opioid medications and higher doses to find the same pain relief. At the same time, opiates can affect your brain. When you’re first taking these types of prescriptions, you typically feel euphoric. But over time, your brain begins responding less and less to the opioids. Finally, it makes fewer endorphins and your ability to feel happy can decrease.

Without proper medication management, the effects of opiates on your brain and body can increase your risk of substance abuse, addiction, overdose, and death.

What is medication management?

At Comprehensive Pain Management, Dr. Chan, Dr. Shwartzman and their team include medication management as a vital component of your customized, comprehensive pain treatment plan. Their goal is to manage your pain with the lowest doses of opioids and analgesic medications possible while improving your mobility, functionality, and quality of life.

Before prescribing opioid medications, Dr. Chan, Dr. Shwartzman and the team at Comprehensive Pain Management perform a full medical evaluation to determine if you’re a good candidate for the medication management program. Once you’re in the program, it’s essential that you fully comply with the program guidelines, which include routine urine drug testing and comprehensive behavioral assessments.

By participating in the medication management program at Comprehensive Pain Management, Dr. Chan, Dr. Shwartzman and their team can ensure successful treatment while protecting your overall well-being. If you fail to comply with the medications management program and the doctors’  recommended therapies, you could be discharged from the program.

To learn more about the medications management program at Comprehensive Pain Management, call to schedule an appointment today or fill out our contact form for more information.