In all likeliness, you must have heard of the term ‘pain doctor’, otherwise also known as a pain specialist or even as a pain management specialist. Pain doctors help in managing pain and focus on pain medicine, which is all about preventing and treating different kinds of pain. Here are some of the things you need to know.

What Are the Qualifications of a Pain Doctor?

A pain doctor can be a medical doctor, also known as MD, or can be a doctor of osteopathy, specializing in pain medicine. Apart from treating pain-related disorders, they also treat symptoms that may have triggered pain. They also work with patients who have to deal with pain owing to a particular condition, such as post-operation related pain. In terms of services, many pain doctors have their clinics, where they offer comprehensive care for most pain-related conditions, or else, they may also work as consultants to healthcare providers and doctors. The role of pain doctors is an extensive one, where they offer counseling to patients, perform procedures as required, prescribe medicines and even offer emotional support. In a number of cases, where pain is caused due to a certain condition or diseases, the physician may refer the case to a pain management specialist, while keeping a check on the primary treatment. Apart from a medical degree, which is an obvious must, physicians are required to have a state license in the US.

What Are the Areas of Specialization?

Pain management doctors can treat most conditions, not limited to back and neck pain, chronic pain, cancer pain, arthritis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, pelvic pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, and orofacial pain. Many pain doctors are a part of different organizations, such as the American Pain Society.

How Are Patients Treated?

Patients experience pain owing to a number of reasons, and therefore, the diagnosis and treatment also differs. Doctor usually suggest tests before starting off and may consider the family history of the patient, along with other relevant factors such as lifestyle and diet habits. Also, a detailed physical examination will be done to understand the pain conditions better. As for the treatments, the approach determines the next step. Some treatments are planned in a way that patients can live better, despite the pain, while others are more focused on reducing the extent of pain.

Common Treatments:

Pain doctors may use different kinds of treatments, such as injections in form of corticosteroids, and medications. Along with that, implantable devices such as stimulators are also used, besides physical therapy, surgery and trigger point injections. Lifestyle changes, meditation, hypnosis and relaxation are some of the other things that doctors may use to help a patient.

If you are suffering from chronic pain, consider seeing a pain doctor or ask your primary healthcare physician to offer help. The idea is to start treatment early, which may help in dealing with the symptoms better, and yes, do follow your doctor’s instructions for movements, actions and other things, especially if certain lifestyle changes can reduce your pain considerably.

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