Aging, surgery, trauma, injury — all of these things can lead to debilitating and chronic pain that can take away your ability to live your life.
We understand how pain can impact your daily life. Chronic pain can rob you of your ability to function and maintain your independence. Simple tasks like running errands, caring for pets, or even taking care of your own personal hygiene can become incredibly difficult, if not impossible.
At Excel Pain and Spine, we understand that pain management options are constantly changing. We focus on staying on top of the latest innovations and medical literature so we can help people just like you regain their freedom and live a more normal life.
If you’re considering visiting a pain management clinic for the first time, we want to show you what you can expect at your first visit.
Quality Care Starts with a Detailed History
During your first visit with a pain specialist, the first thing you should expect is a detailed history. Your provider must understand what brought you there and the other factors that could have led to the source of your pain.
You Will Describe Your Pain
Your provider will ask you some questions such as:
- What happened that caused your pain? Were you in an accident, or did you do something else that you think might have caused this?
- What part of your body are you feeling the pain in?
- Describe your pain. Is it dull, aching, tingling, or something else?
- How often does this pain occur? Do you notice it more frequently during the day, first thing in the morning, or while you're trying to sleep at night?
- Have you noticed specific situations where you feel the pain more? This could be during exercise or when you are at rest in certain positions.
- What are you doing when you feel the pain? Were you sitting, standing, lying down, or doing some other position?
- Is there anything that you can do that makes her pain better? This could be things like medications, certain positions, or anything else that gives you some relief?
Your Medical History
Next, your provider will want to ask some questions about medical treatments or other things that have happened that could be impacting your pain.
- What treatments have you received in the past for your pain? How effective were those treatments?
- What medications have you tried in the past, and which ones are you currently taking?
- Have you tried any other therapies to help relieve your pain? How effective have those been?
- Are there any home remedies that you have tried? If so, were any of them effective at relieving your pain?
- Have you had any surgeries in the past?
- Have you received any injections for your pain? How did those work?
Your Daily Life
Finally, your provider will want to have some more insights into how your pain impacts your daily life.
- Are you having any difficulty taking care of your own personal hygiene needs because of your pain?
- Are you still able to perform routine tasks such as preparing meals, grocery shopping, running errands, and picking up your medications?
- Have you been unable to care for anyone else in your life as a result of your pain, such as children or pets?
- Do you feel more depressed or unhappy with your current life due to your pain?
- Is your pain making it hard for you to remember to do routine tasks that you normally do every day, such as paying bills or taking medications?
- Do you feel that your quality of life is suffering as a result of your pain?
- Are you avoiding interactions with family or friends because the pain makes it too difficult for you to spend time with them?
Your Provider Should Consider Your Goals
Everybody is different. For some people, they are purely seeking to regain some measure of independence in their daily lives. This could be as simple as being able to shower alone or prepare meals without debilitating pain.
Others have more commitment and more strenuous activities that they need to be able to perform. For example, they may need to care for grandchildren or pets that rely on them every day.
A good pain management specialist will not only consider the pain that you're in and how it's impacting your life, but they will also consider the goals that you have for your own quality of life. They will work with you to make sure that you have a treatment plan that can get you as close as possible to your goals.
Planning a Course of Treatment
Up to this point, the provider has focused on understanding where you are and how that is impacting your life. They know where you want to go, and it's up to them to figure out the best course of action to get you from where you are now to the goals you have for yourself — or as close as possible.
First, they will take some detailed imaging so that they can get a clear understanding of the cause of your pain. You can expect imaging techniques such as MRIs, X-rays, bloodwork, and other types of tests that can help your provider better understand what's going on inside your body.
Next, they will need to consider available treatment options.
At Excel Pain and Spine, we make an effort to stay on top of the latest medical advancements that can aid us in resolving your pain. We will combine evidence-based medicine along with a multimodal treatment approach to help give you the best results.
It's crucial that we combine the skills and knowledge of our providers along with the needs and goals that you have set for your life. By utilizing the latest research, we can work with you to develop the best possible treatment plan.
And then, we can consider what options and steps are required by your insurance company so that we can help you avoid as much out-of-pocket cost as possible on your path to resolving your pain.
Finding the Right Provider is a Crucial First Step
If you are trying to find a pain management provider that will listen to you and work with you to help you find relief, then you've come to the right place.
Our goal is to provide the best possible care to patients above all else. We provide access to research-proven care, but it's more than that. We place a focus on personalized, frictionless, and positive experiences along the way.
We understand that the solutions you are seeking are not going to happen overnight. This is a journey on which you need a partner that will help you find the relief you're seeking.
We would like to invite you to learn more about our pain management clinic so that you can decide if we would be the right fit to help you. Let us help you regain your independence and relieve your pain. Click here to learn more about how we work and see if we're the right fit for you.
