What Exactly Does a Pain Management Doctor Do?

An estimated 20% of Americans have chronic pain issues. With 1 in 5 adults experiencing some sort of disabling pain in their daily life, the field of pain management has grown by leaps and bounds.

If you experience chronic disabling pain in your daily life, a pain management doctor could be the key to getting your life back. From injury recovery to pain treatment a pain management specialist can address multiple issues with pain.

Read on to find out more about what a pain management specialist does and how to find the best pain management doctor near you.

Back Pain Alleviation

Back pain is one of the most common forms of chronic pain issues among American adults. 65 million Americans have reported back pain issues at least once in their life.

Out of this large pool, 16 million adults report having chronic pain. This is pain which debilitates them during everyday activities. That is 8% of the total American adult population.

Some common causes of chronic back pain are conditions such as sciatica, arthritis, and scoliosis. These conditions are degenerative meaning that they get worse over time if they are left untreated.

Other causes of back pain can be traced back to an injury. This includes things such as a slipped or herniated disk and muscular-skeletal issues.

Regardless of whether your back pain is degenerative, or related to an injury a pain management doctor can help you seek the relief you deserve. A reputable doctor offers many back pain treatments.

This can include things such as various injections, surgery, or stimulation therapies. They also may be able to recommend less invasive methods such as a stretching or physical therapy routine. 

Joint Pain Treatment

As your body ages, your hardware starts to get degraded. One of the most common forms of debilitating pain, especially in older adults, is joint pain.

A common cause of this is arthritis but many other conditions rear their ugly heads with age.

A pain management doctor can narrow down the cause of your joint pain and prescribe proven treatments that provide you with relief.

Knees, ankles, shoulders, and hips are common joints that become inflamed and painful with age. Injuries to these areas can also become degenerative if they are left untreated.

A solid pain management doctor can use cutting-edge treatments. This includes things such as radio-frequency treatment, various injections, and nerve blockers.

These not only provide you with pain relief but treat your joint issues at their source.

Abdominal Pain Treatment

Abdominal pain is a debilitating issue that can be indicative of greater problems such as internal organ failure. A pain management specialist should first of all be able to diagnose the cause of your abdominal pain.

They can do this by getting proper scans done and ruling out more serious causes of your abdominal pain. They can then prescribe you the right pain management techniques. 

The most common abdominal pain treatment is the selective application of nerve blockers. These help to subdue the intense pain that abdominal issues can cause.

Even if you are subject to a serious condition such as cancer, nerve blocker treatments can provide you with significant pain reduction. They can be an excellent resource to use when all other forms of medication have failed.

Other Pain Management Treatments

Any sort of debilitating pain can be treated by a pain management specialist. Neck pain, facial pain, and headaches are some common pain issues that affect countless Americans. 

If you suffer from migraines, you know how debilitating they can be. You also know that sometimes Tylenol or over-the-counter pain medications don’t cut it. 

Rather than turning to addictive painkillers, or suffering through your debilitating pain without relief, why not seek out a pain management specialist? 

Nerve blockers, special injections, and radio-frequency treatments all provide viable alternatives. They are all better than dangerous prescription painkillers for treating your chronic pain issues.

All of these methods require a professional to administer them to you the right way. A pain management doctor is the professional you need in your life. Only they can free you from debilitating pain caused by headaches and other issues.

Finding the Best Pain Management Doctor

There are a lot of pain management doctors out there that claim to be able to handle your pain issues. The unfortunate thing is that many of them are looking at you as a paycheck and not as a human being. 

When choosing a pain management doctor, you should look for a compassionate individual.

You need to find a doctor that cares about your situation. You should do a bit of research to see who has the best online reviews.

When you have narrowed down your choices, contact them to set up an initial consultation. Make sure that your prospective pain management specialist gives you the time of day and meets you in person. 

Gauge how well they listen to your wants and needs during your initial consultation. The last thing you want is a doctor who talks over you and prescribes you a treatment without even listening to what you have to say. 

If your prospective doctor doesn’t pay attention to your wants and needs during your initial consultation, this is a bad sign. This pattern will remain unchanged during their actual treatment applications. 

Find a doctor with a good reputation, a compassionate demeanor, and the competence to handle your pain issues. Make sure that they are also within your price range or insurance network.

Once you have done adequate research you will be ready to begin your journey to a pain-free life with a great partner in pain management.

Doing a bit of research and having a vetting process may seem like a ton of work. However, it is well worth it when it comes to selecting the best professional for your pain management needs.

Live Free From Pain

Living a life dominated by pain is not a good existence. Liberate yourself from your chronic pain issues by finding a doctor that specializes in pain management.

There are all sorts of new treatments that can help your situation. Contact us today to find out what they are and treat your chronic pain the right way. That way you can get your life back on track and enjoy your life once again.