A pain management doctor is your partner in pain relief, understands your pain, knows its effects, and can help you sooner. Pain management doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of all pain conditions throughout the body. The goal of any pain management doctor is to stop your suffering by reducing pain and allowing you to return to your normal life without the limitations of pain. Pain management doctors focus on patients’ ability to participate in work, hobbies, family activities, and self-care, thus restoring normal function and regaining independence.
Becoming a board-certified pain management doctor requires additional training and certifications. After medical school, the individual must complete five additional years of training. First, the doctor must complete a four-year residency in anesthesia, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, or psychiatry. After completing this training, the individual must then complete a one-year fellowship in the field of pain medicine. After this training, testing is completed and must be passed to maintain board certification status.
What Does A Pain Management Doctor Do Exactly?
Pain medicine doctors are versed in treating both acute and chronic pain conditions and common and rare syndromes. No two patients’ journey with pain is the same, so their treatment plans should not be either. Every treatment plan should be tailored to the patient and their specific goals by a pain management doctor. Need help right away? Appointments are available with our Excel Pain and Spine team within 48-hours or less. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Commonly treated types of pain include:
- Spine Pain
- Joint Pain
- Nerve Pain
- Pain After Surgery
- Muscle and Spasticity Pain
- Abdominal and Pelvic Pain
- Headaches and Facial Pain
- Cancer Pain and Medication Management
- Chronic Medication Management
Pain management doctors understand the complexity of the pain conditions and the external factors related to the pain or injury. A pain management doctor will help lead your treatment team to get relief and aid in navigating the complex healthcare system.
An effective pain management team coordinates care for the following:
- Pain or Injury After Trauma or Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Work-Related Injuries and Worker Compensation
- Independent Medical Examinations
What to Expect When Working With a Pain Management Doctor
If you’re considering visiting a pain management clinic for the first time, this is a detailed recap of what you can expect at your first visit.
At a summary level, a pain management doctor will evaluate a patient’s prior medical history, physical exam findings, labs, imaging, and goals to develop a personalized treatment plan. It’s essential to find a clinic that prioritizes and values your ability to reach these goals.
An effective pain doctor uses all available treatments in a combined or multimodal approach. This means combining holistic treatments, medical therapies, physical therapy, and procedures to reach the desired goals and results of the patient.
Our providers at Excel Pain and Spine pride themselves on being trained and experts in the field of interventional pain. Interventional pain is the use of procedures to reduce pain and reduce the need for opioid medications.
More Options Than Just Opioids
A myth is that pain management doctors only prescribe opioids. Providers can try many other well-studied medications for pain, including membrane stabilizers, antidepressants, anti-Inflammatories, and muscle relaxers.
Opioid medications have multiple risks and side effects, including constipation, sleep disorders, osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction, and accidental overdose. A pain management physician judicially uses these medications only when appropriate and carries out the proper management and monitoring to ensure safe use.
Interventional therapies prescribed by pain management doctors include spinal and joint injections, nerve blocks and ablations, regenerative medicine injections, minimally invasive spinal implants, and nerve stimulators to block pain signals.
Pain management doctors aid with the coordination of care and referrals with other treating specialties, including physical therapists, chiropractors, surgeons, and primary care providers. Many patients who can gain relief from a pain management doctor have had surgery and continue to have pain, or patients who cannot have surgery and must find other avenues for relief.
The practice of pain management has evolved over the last 20 years. Board-certified pain management doctors are equipped to manage the full scope of new and old injuries or syndromes causing pain. These doctors have the unique ability to combine a vast array of treatments and therapies with to improve a patient’s quality of life. Any patient suffering from pain and not getting the relief they need should consider evaluation with a pain management doctor. If you would like an expedited visit with one of our pain management doctors, please click here.
