SCIENCE IS EVOLVING e science of diagnosing and treating chronic pain has evolved over the course of her 20-year career.e one, recent development that has made the most news is a negative one: the epidemic of opiate addiction. It has heightened the challenge for physicians in managing their practices, she notes.ey need to nd the correct balance – “helping the patients who truly need pain medications, as opposed to those who are misusing these medications, and diverting them. “We don't want to go into practice not believing someone, but we also have a responsibility to the community and also to patients to make sure we are not helping them engage in addiction or illicit behavior. It makes things a little more complicated,” says Dr. omas-King, who is certied in both anesthesia and pain management. Still, she is optimistic that some of the measures government regulators, drug makers, health systems and physician groups are instituting are starting to make a dierence in reducing abuse and addiction. “A number of things are being done. Maybe some doctors have been too lenient in prescribing. “But, one thing I don't want to see happen is that the pendulum swings so far to the opposite side that to patients who need these medications are not being treated adequately and appropriately.ere is a middle point – we can provide treatment within guidelines that are good for patients, with a certain amount of regulation, but not overdo it so patients aren't getting the care they need.” One positive development is that physicians in primary care and other specialties have become much more inclined to refer patients with chronic pain to pain management clinics where they can receive specialized
care, she says. And, “with some of the regulations that have been put in place, we will have a higher standard of care. at's all very good for the eld.” A COMPLEX CONDITION Chronic pain is “multidimensional,” Dr. omas King says, and has many causes that can represent a challenging puzzle for care providers. For that reason, PMTC takes a multi-disciplinary approach to care, with a sta that includes not only physicians and nurses but also physical therapists, and even a psychologist. Medication management can include both opiates and non-opiate medications, nerve blockers and techniques like radio frequency ablation that can provide quick relief from pain originating in the spine and nerves. “We attack pain from all dierent angles,” Dr.omas-King says. “We use opioids (usually low-dose opioids) as a last resort, as an adjunct to the other treatment we are providing. We try not to make the pain medications the center of treatment. “Treating pain has a lot to do with patients getting out and exercising, eating right and doing all of the things they need to do, so they don't need to depend on pills.” Looking ahead, at PMTC “we want to continue to be a staple resource in the community, where people who have chronic pain can receive the best care in a relaxing environment with the understanding that we take what we do seriously, and with the highest integrity.”
“We want to continue to be a staple resource in the community, where people who have chronic pain can receive the best care.” -- Pamela omas-King, M.D. P amela omas-King, M.D. founded the Pain Management and Treatment Center in October, 1996. But her interest in medicine dates back much earlier than that. “I decided I wanted to become a physician when I was 12 years old. I used to visit my grandmother who lived in rural Mississippi.e people there had such poor health care, I decided this was an area where I could make a dierence.” After earning her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr.omas-King completed a four-year residency in anesthesia at Duke University,followed by a one-year fellowship in pain management. In the process, she found her career. Diagnosing and treating chronic pain can be a complex challenge, but pain specialists can make a big and immediate dierence in making their patients' lives better. “I really like the fact that I can help people, which is why I originally went into medicine.”
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