Dr. Charles Argoff Discusses the Pain Treatment Continuum

Charles Argoff, MD, from the Albany Medical Center, in Albany, NY, talks about the "pain treatment continuum" and how it can be used to inform treatment decisions. Dr. Argoff says the purpose of looking at a treatment continuum is not to say that a person must fail every single step in order to get to proper treatment. He adds that it's important to realize that there are some treatments that are less invasive and some that are more invasive. Ideally, a physician would stratify their treatment based on the patient and what their needs are. For example, if a patient has acute lumbar radiculopathy, which may have neuropathy and other features to it, the patient should not need to fail physical therapy before they receive an epidural injection. Dr. Argoff says physicians should individualize care and use their knowledge about different therapies to maximize treatment outcomes.