What is Algology?
Algology is the field of medicine that deals with recognizing, identifying the causes of, and treating pain of various types and dimensions - ranging from acute and simple pain to chronic and resistant pain - originating from different parts of the body, whether the cause is known or unknown.
Who is an Algology Attending Physiciant?
Specialist physicians in the fields of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and Neurology are entitled to receive the title of ‘Algology Attending Physician’ by completing a 2-year subspecialty training in Algology.
What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is defined as pain that has persisted in any part of the body for more than 3 months.
As mentioned above, in the algology department, the causes of the patient's pain are evaluated and appropriate treatment options are determined. For this purpose, medical treatments (medication therapies) and various interventional treatment procedures are evaluated and arranged on a patient basis. As Koç University Algology (Pain Unit) Department, we apply all these treatment principles from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Koç University Hospital Algology (Pain Unit) Approach
Two algology specialists provide full-time services in the Pain Unit, which was established under the Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation. Our nursing staff consists of experienced nurses who have received specialized training in this field. The services provided to patients are categorized according to acute and chronic pain syndromes. Treatments are performed using current technologies and supported by new technologies.
In the Acute Pain Service, postoperative pain management, which constitutes the majority of acute pain, is carried out in collaboration with the relevant department anesthesiologist, pain nurse, and pain specialist. The department anesthesiologist addresses the patient’s pain issues, as well as other medical concerns, before, during, and after surgery. Pain nurses visit patients daily, monitor their condition with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) devices, keep records, attend patient visits with the pain specialist, and communicate with the surgeon and inpatient service nurse to resolve problems. The pain specialists are responsible for the coordination of acute pain treatment practices within the hospital and the training to be given in this field. They also assist the department anesthesiologist in interventional procedures requiring expertise.
Pain control for oncology patients, a large patient group served in our hospital, is provided by an algology specialist. Necessary medication arrangements are revised daily through daily inpatient visits. After discharge, patients' pain and medication monitoring continues through outpatient or online patient meetings at the algology clinic.
In the Chronic Pain Service, interventional pain treatment is successfully performed thanks to advances in science and technology. With contemporary pain treatment methods, quality of life can be improved by temporarily or permanently blocking pain transmission in many pain syndromes.
As Koç University Algology (Pain Unit) Department, we successfully perform interventional pain treatment procedures (such as epidural injections, radiofrequency treatments, cryoablation treatments, intra-articular injections, trigger point injections, neurolytic blocks, nucleoplasty, spinal-epidural port/morphine pump placement, spinal cord stimulator placement, etc.) supported by science, accompanied by imaging devices such as ultrasonography and fluoroscopy.
Within our hospital, we adopt a multidisciplinary treatment approach, which is an indispensable parameter of chronic pain treatment, by consulting with branches such as physical therapy and rehabilitation, neurosurgery, orthopedics, general surgery, thoracic surgery, neurology, and oncology.
Is It Possible to Apply Directly to the Algology Department?
Many patients apply to an algology clinic with the guidance of their physician. While this approach is extremely correct, an algology specialist may be consulted for pain that has existed for a long time and has not responded to various treatments. The algology specialist will ask you to undergo the tests they deem necessary, or if they think the problem is related to a different field, they will refer you to the relevant field.
When Should an Algology Clinic Be Preferred?
Chronic pain is a problem that reduces the quality of life by affecting a person's daily life, activities, sleep patterns, nutrition and psychological state. Acute pain ignites the initial fuse of chronic pain. Acute pain that is not managed well carries the risk of becoming chronic. Patients with pain that is not relieved by non-invasive treatments, simple medication therapies, or that does not require any surgical treatment and does not pose an emergency risk can apply to the algology clinic.
How are Algological Diseases Treated? What are the Treatment Methods for Algology?
There is no single treatment method in algology. Since each patient's pain, causes, and treatment responses will be different, individualized-personalized treatment methods are applied to patients. These should be addressed from a holistic perspective, including medication therapies, interventional methods, exercises and psychological support. For many chronic pain patients, a multidisciplinary approach plays a key role in identifying the causes of pain and ensuring treatment success.
Some of the interventional treatments frequently applied in the Algology department are as follows;
- Nerve blocks
- Epidural, transforaminal injections
- Radiofrequency treatments
- Cryoablation treatments
- Neurolytic blocks for cancer pain (celiac block, splanchnic block), epidural-spinal catheter placement, spinal port- morphine pump implantation
- Nucleoplasty
- Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation of the Gasserian ganglion (Trigeminal neuralgia treatment)
- Spinal Cord Stimulator (pain pacemaker) placement
How are Algological Diseases Diagnosed?
A good patient history and physical examination form the basis of diagnosis. Afterwards, imaging tests such as MRI, tomography, ultrasonography; blood tests and nerve conduction studies are guiding for diagnosis. Algology specialist determines the most appropriate tests for the patient.
What Diseases are Treated in the Algology Department?
The pain treatment department, known as "Algology" in the medical literature, deals with the diagnosis and treatment of both chronic and acute pain. Pain is a common problem that reduces the quality of life for many people. Algology specialists identify the source of pain and determine the most appropriate treatment methods, individualized for patients. This department deals with many types of pain and aims to improve patients' quality of life.
Some of the painful conditions that the Algology department is particularly interested in are as follows:
- Cancer pain
- Lower back and neck pain (spine-related pain such as lumbar and cervical herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and osteoarthritis)
- Chronic migraine
- Headaches and facial pains
- Shingles pain
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Rheumatic diseases
- Back, chest and muscle pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Joint pain such as hip, knee, and wrist
- Shoulder, arm and hand pain
- Newly developed or ongoing pain after neck and back surgery
- Diabetic neuropathy (burning, electric shock sensation and stinging in the hands and feet due to nerve damage in diabetic patients)
- Pain that occurs after traumatic injuries or fractures (such as complex regional pain syndrome)
- Pain that does not go away after any surgery and becomes chronic
- Pain due to vascular occlusion
- Pain originating from the nervous system (neuropathic pain, pain resulting from nerve damage and often described as a burning, tingling or electric shock sensation)
- Psychosomatic pain (can be observed as the reflection of psychological disorders on the body.)