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‘I rarely prescribe medication’: DO shares holistic pain management tips

Lillie Rosenthal, DO, proposes solutions to help physicians address their patients’ issues with pain.

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Finding relief for pain can be just as frustrating for physicians as it is for the patients. In a recent Huffington Post blog post, Lillie Rosenthal, DO, shares what she has learned about solving the pain puzzle during her more than 25 years as a pain management physician.

“Pain is not merely a symptom to be suppressed; it is a signal arising from a complex system of integrated networks known as the human body,” writes Dr. Rosenthal. “In order to comprehensively and responsibly understand and treat pain, we need to listen very carefully.”

Dr. Rosenthal suggests the following solutions to unravel and address the pain:

  • Identify and educate the patient on the source of the pain.
  • Treat pain at a structural level. “Osteopathic manipulation, stretching and strengthening programs address the root cause of pain. The body responds optimally to a mechanical solution for a mechanical problem,” Dr. Rosenthal writes.
  • When discussing treatment options, weigh the risk vs. the reward. Instead of turning to medication as a first choice, consider ice, heat and gentle stretching, which could work effectively without side effects. “I rarely prescribe medication,” Dr. Rosenthal writes.

See the Huffington Post article to learn more about ways Dr. Rosenthal suggests unlocking the pain puzzle.

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