As Demand for Pain Management Increases, More Diagnostic Imaging Is Needed

The world-famous Mayo Clinic in Arizona is in the process of a major expansion. With plans to nearly double in size, two practice areas that are definitely going to increase are the Pain Rehab and Pain Clinic – services that are considered clinically important and a large part of the reason why people are willing to travel long distances to seek care at the Mayo Clinic.

This is only one example of the nationwide increase in demand for pain management services. The National Institute of Health, discussing the 400% increase in opioid prescriptions over the past twenty years, states unequivocally that the demand for pain specialists of all types has increased.

How Pain Management Is Changing

The opioid crisis has had such a dramatic, negative impact on communities that the health care system is changing how pain is treated. A number of non-opioid treatment methods are available, including medications like NSAIDs, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants, as well as alternative and complementary treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. Implantable pain management, including pain pumps and spinal stimulators, are proving to be valuable tools in the battle against chronic and central pain.

Diagnostic Imaging for Pain Management

Before any pain management decisions can be made, physicians and clinicians need accurate information about the patient’s condition. High-resolution diagnostic images are essential and must be available promptly to enable timely diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic imaging equipment plays a critical role in the use of implantable pain management technology, both during initial placement and over the course of treatment.

Pain management patients often experience many frustrating delays in their search for relief, so keeping avoidable delays like waiting for diagnostic testing to a minimum is a good best practice.

For this reason, many pain management providers are opting to add diagnostic imaging capabilities to their practice, or, if they already have this capability, increasing their resources to better meet increased patient demand.

Increasing Diagnostic Imaging Capacity on a Budget

The c-arms, ultrasound systems and other diagnostic imaging equipment used in pain management are not cheap. However, it is possible for pain management providers to save up to 40% – and sometimes more! –  by choosing refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment. Learn how you can get the most popular, reliable, high performing diagnostic imaging equipment from top manufacturers like GE/OEC, Siemens, Philips, and more.