What to Know When Visiting a Pain Management Doctor

Living with chronic pain is a huge challenge. Millions of people of all ages deal with chronic pain every year. Around 25 percent of Americans have reported pain that has lasted longer than 24 hours. Some cases start after an injury or illness, but others start seemingly out of the blue. Common types of chronic pain include arthritis, migraines, shingles, and back and neck pain. Although pain management is a common problem, it can be difficult to know if or when you should see a doctor, as well as what to expect when you do schedule an appointment.

In general, you should contact a doctor if your pain is repeatedly interfering with your life or if it seems impossible to control. If the pain has lasted over three months or is causing sleeplessness, making an appointment with a pain management doctor will be worth your time. 

Meeting with your primary care physician is the first step toward treating your chronic pain. Depending on the severity of the pain, your physician may refer you to a pain management doctor. Pain management doctors specialize in treating chronic pain. Pain doctors come from other specialties, including psychiatrists, neurosurgeons, and anesthesiologists. Depending on their background, most doctors will specialize in a particular type of pain. 

Many doctors will firstly try a watchful waiting period of time. In this time, both you and the doctor will observe your symptoms without treatment. During the watchful waiting, the doctor may recommend taking pain relievers, getting more exercise, sleeping more, or other small changes. 

If these methods are unsuccessful, the doctor may choose to try other pain management techniques. These techniques vary greatly depending on the type and severity of the pain. Some methods include electrotherapy, muscle relaxants, injections, and superficial heating and cooling of the skin. The doctor may also recommend working with other specialists, such as physical therapists or counselors, to find the pain management method that best helps you.

Common Types of Back Pain Treatments

Back pain affects all ages but can be particularly debilitating for older Americans, who may have other underlying complications that create the pain. Still, back pain treatments, regardless of age, are contingent on the extent of injuries, whether they're muscular, skeletal or congenital in nature. Most medical specialists recognize two categories of treatment--conservative and aggressive. You can employ many conservative treatments at home before you see a doctor, while aggressive treatments are typically reserved for more serious back injuries. 

Bed Rest
It is advisable to stop all physical activity when you feel back pain and get plenty of rest. The key is to minimize the inflammation, which will only get worse with sports or working out.

Medications
Ibuprofen, aspirin and other pain medications can help mollify your back pain and reduce inflammation. Just make sure you take the recommended dose that's listed on the bottle. If you visit your family doctor, he may prescribe stronger pain pills or muscle relaxants, depending on the severity of your injury or condition.

Heating Pads/Warm Baths
Heat can soothe your back pain and reduce pain and inflammation. WebMD recommends that you use heating pads for 15 to 20 minutes. Another option is a warm bath for a similar duration. 

Physical Therapy
If your pain persists more than a few days, your doctor may recommend physical therapy. Physical therapists often use various methods to treat back pain, including massage, ultrasound and whirlpools. They may also manipulate your back and assist you with improving your range of motion. Many instruct patients to perform stretching and resistance exercises to build strength around affected areas.

Steroid Treatments/Local Anesthetics
At this stage, your doctor has likely referred you to a pain specialist who can prescribe cortisone shots or local anesthetics like lidocaine, which block nerve impulses to relieve pain. 

Surgical Treatments
A couple examples of surgical procedures include herniated disk removal and spinal fusion. Disks are like cushions between your vertebrae. Specialists remove the herniated section of the disk when they cause pain, numbness or weakness. Spinal fusion is a welding of vertebrae that connects two bones to relieve pain and discomfort.

How to Prepare for Pain Management Treatment

When you live with chronic pain, finally getting treatment can be a relief. You simply want to get to your appointment and get treated so you can start to live without the chronic pain that has plagued you for so long. However, before you go in for pain management treatment, there are some things you should do to ensure the appointment goes as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Review and Fill Out Forms

Most pain management centers will provide new patient packages on their website or send them to you in the mail so that you are able to fill out your paperwork before your appointment. It is highly advised that you take advantage of this because it will speed things up once you get to the center. Additionally, it will be easier for you to fill out the paperwork at home where you have all the information you may need. Filling the papers out completely is important to ensuring you get the best possible care.

Bring Medical Information With You

Make sure that you are completely prepared for the appointment by bringing all your medical history information that you have. This includes bringing a list of medications you may be taking, including anything over the counter, and any x-rays or other films you may have. Also, do not forget your insurance information. Forgetting this could delay your treatment or cause issues with your appointment.

Prepare a List of Questions

When you are at your appointment it is easy to forget any concerns you may have or any questions you had before you got there. That is why it is a good idea to write down any questions you may have so that you can refer to the list during your appointment. Consider asking questions that will educate you on understanding what is causing your pain and what your pain management treatment will entail.

Finally getting an appointment for pain management treatment can be wonderful. However, in order to make sure your appointment goes smoothly, you need to be prepared by filling out paperwork ahead of time, bringing all your medical information with you and preparing a list of questions.