Pain Awareness Month: Understanding Pain and Knowing When to Seek Help

September is Pain Awareness Month, an opportunity to increase understanding of acute and chronic pain and remind those living with persistent discomfort that effective treatment options are available.

Pain is the body’s way of signaling that something may be wrong and most people just push through or ignore it, which can lead to more damage in the long run. While acute pain typically occurs following an injury, illness, or procedure and improves as the body heals, chronic pain can persist for months or longer. Ongoing pain may affect mobility, sleep, work, exercise, and other everyday activities.

At Desert Orthopaedic Center, our pain management specialists work with patients to identify the source of their pain and develop individualized treatment plans designed to reduce symptoms, improve function, and help them return to the activities that matter most.

Understanding Your Pain

Pain can develop for many reasons and may affect the back, neck, joints, muscles, or nerves. Symptoms can also vary significantly from person to person. Depending on the underlying condition, patients may experience:

• Persistent aching or soreness
• Sharp, shooting, or burning pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Pain that travels into an arm or leg
• Increased discomfort with certain movements or activities
• Pain that interferes with sleep or everyday activities

When pain continues despite rest or other conservative measures—or begins limiting your quality of life—an evaluation by a pain management specialist can help determine the cause and appropriate next steps.

Meet Our Pain Management Experts

Desert Orthopaedic Center's specialty-trained pain management team includes Dr. Yuichiro Hayashi, Dr. Andrew Kim, and Dr. S. Andrew Park. Together, they provide specialized care for patients experiencing acute and chronic pain throughout the Las Vegas and Henderson communities.

Dr. Yuichiro Hayashi is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who completed his anesthesiology residency and pain medicine fellowship training at UCLA.

Dr. Andrew Kim specializes in pain management as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation, providing nonsurgical care focused on diagnosing and treating orthopaedic-related acute and chronic pain.

Dr. S. Andrew Park is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist with advanced fellowship training in pain management. His approach emphasizes individualized, multimodal care and includes advanced minimally invasive interventional treatment options when appropriate.

Pain Doesn't Have to Define Your Everyday Life

Pain management isn't simply about temporarily reducing discomfort. The goal is to understand what is causing the pain and determine a treatment approach that supports better function and quality of life. Depending on a patient's condition and needs, care may include conservative treatments, medication management, targeted injections, or more advanced interventional therapies.

This Pain Awareness Month, don't ignore pain that is persistent, worsening, or keeping you from doing the things you enjoy. Getting an accurate diagnosis is an important first step toward finding an appropriate treatment plan.

To learn more about pain management at Desert Orthopaedic Center or to schedule an appointment with one of our pain management specialists, call (702) 731-4088 or schedule an appointment online.