What to Expect When Seeing a Pain Management Doctor

Living with chronic pain is not for the faint of heart. It makes sleeping, walking, sometimes even just sitting watching TV a chore. It’s hard to watch a loved one deal with chronic pain. There are feelings of helplessness and fear about what to do and who to see. But there is hope in the form of a pain management doctor.

When seeing a pain management doctor, diagnosing and treating chronic pain is the goal, but this can sometimes be a lengthy process. One should not expect to walk into an office and emerge with a pill that will cure everything. It usually takes a team of doctors with various disciplines to successfully diagnose and treat chronic pain. Here are a few things to expect when you begin seeing your pain doctor.

Meet Your Pain Management Doctor

A pain management doctor is someone who specializes in managing and treating patients with chronic pain. They are experts in identifying and treating acute and chronic pain. In addition to performing specialized tests to diagnose chronic pain, they will also do procedures like nerve blocks and spinal injections, administer medication as necessary, and even help with physical and psychological rehabilitation. Since no two people or conditions are the same, it’s important that your treatment is specially tailored to meet your unique needs.

What to Expect at the Pain Clinic

The term clinic refers to the fact that there is not just one doctor there that treats everyone. Especially with pain management, it is so important to have a few different disciplines represented at the location because it really does take a village to treat chronic pain. For example, one patient may need only a bit of physical therapy where another patient may need the full gambit of physical rehabilitation. It’s important when tailoring treatments to have many hands on deck to assure the best care for everyone.

One of the first things you will do on your first visit is answering some questions about how your pain is affecting your life. It’s important to let your doctor know if, for example, you are awoken every morning with back pain or if you have trouble getting up from a seated position. These questions will help your doctor make decisions about what steps he or she will need to take next. Your doctor will also need to review your medical records to get a better understanding of your condition.

Getting the Help You Need

No matter what kind of pain you are experiencing, there is help out there. Pain management doctors have the tools and knowledge necessary to treat chronic pain in a setting that is tailored to meet your specific needs. Here at Southeast Pain and Spine Care, you will find a team of caring and compassionate doctors that will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan that will help you find some relief from chronic pain.

Questions? Contact us