One of the most important things to understand about the pain you may be experiencing after orthopedic surgery is that this doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything wrong. In truth, postoperative pain is a normal part of the body’s own healing process – but at the same time, this doesn’t mean that you will be forced to grin and bear it.

In fact, there are a wide range of pain management options available to orthopedic patients that are certainly worth exploring with your primary care specialist.

The Advantages of Regional Anesthesia

One of the most common pain management options for orthopedic patients involves the careful use of regional anesthesia. This typically involves a conduction block at the site of your surgery, or anywhere along the path between the surgical site and your spinal cord. There are a number of recent examples in particular that suggest the injection of anesthetic into joint spaces can dramatically reduce the amount of postoperative pain that a patient may be feeling. This is an option that is definitely worth discussing with your orthopedic surgeon before your procedure.

Get Your Expectations in Order

Additionally, it is critical that you understand as much about the pain management process as possible in order to adequately set your expectations for the road ahead. By far, the first few days after your surgery are going to be the worst – but take comfort in knowing that the pain will improve on a daily basis. Your body needs time to heal and you need to do whatever you can to support that. This is why the experts at The Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons agree that oftentimes the best pain reliever you have access to is peace of mind.

If you’d like to find out more information about the various treatment options available to Jacksonville orthopedic patients with acute pain, or if you’d just like to get answers to any other important questions you may have, please don’t delay – contact the Board Certified physicians at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists today.