I've had MS for nearly 20 years. Years after the diagnosis I was also
diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency and stasis ulcers around my
ankles bilaterally. I've had difficulty with increasing pain in my lower
legs which involves severe burning, swelling & discoloration (constant).
I'm being treated with Tegretol 800 mgs. daily and Tylenol #3. They help
some, but I don't feel it helps enough since I'm still suffering. I was
advised to wear Jobst support stockings to control edema, but quite
honestly they make the burning pain even worse and are thus intolerable. My
doctors don't seem genuinely concerned about the problem, yet I would
willingly allow my spinal cord to be severed if it would put an end to the
pain. When I asked about a referral to a pain clinic I was told that such
places are mostly for those with a strong psychological component. I
checked the website of one affiliated with a large teaching university, and
sure enough they seem to devote a large amount of their time to evaluating
patients psychologically. Where does all this leave me? I simply want
relief!
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As you correctly ascertained a lot of the time in pain clinics is
spent dealing with patients who have a psychological component to their pain.
This does not mean that they spend their time EXCLUSIVELY on these patients
and a large proportion of the patients have purely physical disorders.
generally pain specialists are diveided between physicians whose primary interest is in
either psychiatry or anesthesiology.
I would urge you to seek a pain control specialist who comes from this
background to obtain the correct approach to your particular case.
Regardless of the approach you take you will be individually evaluated and a treatment regime
generated to adress your particular problems, so i would not close off the option without at
least having an initial consultation with a pain specialist.
If you wish to recieve your care at the Cleveland Clinic Pain center a physician who would
have the background I described would be Dr Stanton-Hicks
Appointments number (216) 445 7370
