Chronic pain is a constant struggle that affects a large portion of the population, both at home and internationally. Roughly 50 million Americans (about 20 percent) and over one billion people around them deal with chronic pain on a daily basis, preventing them from performing daily tasks or taking part in their favorite activities.
Not only do these issues take a toll physically, but numerous people deal with mental and emotional fatigue as a result of their chronic pain. An inability to live your normal lifestyle due to pain and limited mobility is both frustrating and exhausting. As a result, millions of people each year seek medical care for their issues. While this can certainly lead to effective results, there are also potential downsides. Perhaps the most tragic of which is a developed dependence on opioids.
At Forum Health Medical Weight Loss, we offer alternative treatments for those dealing with either chronic pain or opioid dependency. One of the most effective tools we utilize is the use of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy treatments. Read on to learn more about Psychedelic Assisted Therapy treatments in Novi and their effectiveness in treating chronic pain, migraines, and opioid addiction.
Common Types of Pain
Each person is different, and they experience different types of pain. As stated above, medication can offer effective relief for many patients suffering from this issue. Unfortunately, only 58% of people surveyed say that prescription pain medication effectively treats their symptoms.
In terms of physical pain, there are typically four different classifications that medical professionals use to differentiate. These are:
- Acute pain, which professionals typically use to categorize short-term pain from an injury or disease. This pain usually resolves once the issues are treated directly (whether it’s from surgery, home treatment, or additional medical treatments). This type of pain typically lasts 12 weeks or less.
- Chronic pain, which is pain that lasts even after the issue heals. It can also occur as the result of a degenerative condition in your bones, joints, tendons, and more. You can categorize chronic pain as pain that lasts for several months to years. Even after the injury fully heals, your nervous system may still send signals to the brain that there is pain present. Medical professionals call this Nociceptive pain.
- Nerve pain, which we refer to as neuropathic pain. This type of pain can occur through nerve damage which, when left untreated, can cause long-term issues.
- Localized nerve pain: This type of nerve pain differs from the previous category in that it’s specific to a certain area in your body. Localized nerve pain is hard to determine in terms of its origin, but it can be caused by infections or surgery.
In terms of chronic pain, some of the most common conditions we see at our clinic are migraines, fibromyalgia, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects the body’s muscles and tissues, causing consistent aching and stiffness. Pain often ranges from moderate to severe and affects different areas of the body at different times.
CRPS, meanwhile, is a rare, chronic neurological syndrome that is characterized by:
- Burning pain
- Excess sweating
- Extreme sensitivity to touch
- Joint stiffness
- Swelling of the tissues
It typically affects a limb but then spreads to other areas of the body. CRPS usually develops after an injury or surgery. The pain is extremely difficult to control and there is currently no cure available.
Effects of Chronic Pain
Each of the aforementioned types of physical pain can greatly limit your mobility and your ability to perform daily functions. As a result, many people suffer additional emotional and mental struggles because of their inability to find relief. In fact, some studies suggest that up to 85 percent of people with chronic pain experience major depression. Some of the other emotional and psychological symptoms of chronic pain can include:
- Anxiety
- Drug, alcohol, and opioid addiction
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Lack of pleasure
- Relationship conflicts
- Suicidal thoughts
For those who’ve sought medical care but haven’t experienced much, if any, progress, these issues can be further exacerbated. In more tragic scenarios, people seeking relief for their chronic pain can also end up developing a dependence on opioids. In fact, many cases of opioid addiction stem from the desire to treat chronic pain with doctor-prescribed painkillers.
To make it clear, we aren’t saying that you shouldn’t seek medical help if you need it, or that going to a doctor puts you at risk of developing an opioid dependency. Far from it, actually. The vast majority of medical doctors are acutely aware of the potential risk of prescription painkillers and try to take every step necessary to ensure that patients are properly educated.
Where most cases of opioid abuse stem from is the feeling of short-term relief they provide. Painkillers release endorphins in your brain and create a greater sense of well-being.
The problem is, many people try to chase this feeling beyond the amount of time that they are advised to take the medication. People may also take more pills at one time than prescribed, which causes them to develop a tolerance, and ultimately chase the feeling that painkillers bring by continuing to take more.
With Psychedelic Assisted Therapy treatments in Novi, Rochester Hills, Clarkston, Shelby Township, and West Bloomfield patients can benefit from immediate pain relief without the risk of developing addictive habits. This is due to the fact that all Psychedelic Assisted Therapy infusions performed at our clinic are given clinically correct doses and within a set number of treatments. This helps prevent the risk of abuse.
What is Psychedelic Assisted Therapy & How Does it Help?
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy isn’t new when it comes to its use as a treatment. In fact, it’s frequently used in medicine and has been around as an FDA-approved anesthetic and pain reliever for over 50 years. Unfortunately, its abuse as a recreational drug can understandably cause hesitation and lead to misconceptions about its benefits when used in a controlled, clinical setting.
In fact, research studies show that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy t is up to 80 percent effective for treating both the symptoms of pain and depression (as well as other mental health issues). What makes Psychedelic Assisted Therapy particularly effective as a treatment method is how quickly it works. Whereas other medications may take weeks or even months to provide relief, low-dose Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Novi can provide pain relief in a matter of hours or less.
When performed by professionals in a clinical setting, Psychedelic Assisted Therapy works by resetting the body’s central nervous system and its sensitization to pain. Forum Health Medical Weight Loss clinicians deliver the Psychedelic Assisted Therapy through an IV, where it’ll then decrease pain by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors. This prevents your nerves from experiencing pain, leading to much-desired relief.
What makes Forum Health Medical Weight Loss particularly qualified to offer Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Novi is our status as one of the only clinics in the state to offer Psychedelic Assisted Therapy for pain relief, mood disorders, and opiate addiction. Our professional staff is licensed and highly qualified to administer these treatments in both the correct dosage and in a safe environment.
What Can I Expect During & After Treatment?
Before beginning any treatment at Forum Health Medical Weight Loss, we start with an initial consultation to better understand your goals for treatment, your current challenges, and your medical history. If you’re a good candidate for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Novi, we’ll begin with the initial treatment phase.
The initial treatment phase is where we’ll determine the proper number of infusions and over what timespan. Most patients dealing with chronic pain can expect somewhere in the range of 3 to 5 infusions within the span of about 7 to 10 days. For those suffering from CPRS, you’ll likely need a total of 5 infusions within a week. For the best results, we typically recommend that patients do infusions on consecutive days.
Each Psychedelic Assisted infusion for chronic pain lasts an average of roughly 4 hours. This differs from those receiving treatment specifically for mood disorders, who typically engage in sessions lasting less than an hour. After receiving your treatment, patients can expect to experience pain relief that lasts anywhere from several weeks to several months. After this timeframe, patients also tend to benefit from 1 to 2 booster treatments in the months that follow.
If you have any questions about Psychedelic Assisted Therapy for pain, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
Fight Back Against Chronic Pain – Schedule Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Novi Today!
When you work with Forum Health Medical Weight Loss, you get the benefit of dedicated and knowledgeable staff. They’ll guide you through each stage of the treatment process, offering support and expertise for your Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Novi, Rochester Hills, Clarkston, Shelby Township, and West Bloomfield.
We also offer a variety of other treatments designed to improve your health and well-being. We customize each plan specifically for you, and we’ll work with you individually to overcome your unique challenges.
Whether it’s fighting chronic pain or addiction, or just improving your overall quality of life, our staff can’t wait to help you. Schedule a consultation today or use our Lifestyle Analysis Tool and take the first step toward treatment.
