Pain management care might sound like something far removed from day-to-day life, but it’s far more common than one might think. Even something as common as epidurals during childbirth falls under the umbrella of pain management. Patients utilize this method of medical care for all sorts of conditions, from degenerative disorders to recovery from surgery.
If you’re wondering, “What does pain management do, and what makes it different from taking over-the-counter pain relievers?” In this article, we’ll uncover how pain management works, the types of pain that pain specialists treat, and what your first visit to a pain management doctor might look like.
What Does Pain Management Do?
As their titles suggest, pain management doctors are medical professionals who specialize in relieving pain. These doctors tailor their medical approaches to meet the needs of each patient. In general, though, each pain management plan follows the same path.
Diagnose the Cause of Pain
Before pain management doctors can treat your pain, they must first identify the cause of your pain. Most of the time, pain is not a health condition in and of itself — rather, it is a symptom of a deeper problem.
If a doctor simply manages a patient’s pain without identifying the root cause, they might feel better in the short term, but their health may continue to deteriorate in the long term. Possible conditions that can contribute to pain include everything from autoimmune disorders and degenerative conditions to herniated discs and muscle spasms.
Determine the Best Treatment Options
Once a doctor has a better understanding of what causes the pain, they can develop a plan to help manage it. Pain management doctors generally use a combination of therapies that they tweak depending on each patient’s needs.
Depending on the severity of the pain, pain management doctors may use a combination of the following treatment methods:
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- Prescription Medications: Doctors may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants, muscle relaxers, and stronger painkillers like opioids.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Behavioral therapy can help patients reframe their pain and manage stress surrounding their symptoms.
- Physical Therapy: Physical therapy can help strengthen muscles needed to support movements, which can reduce strain on other areas of the body.
- Exercise: Over time, a carefully monitored exercise routine can also help encourage ease of movement. Exercise can also release natural pain relievers called endorphins within the body.
- Alternative Therapies: Alternative approaches like chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga, massage, and meditation may be recommended depending on the nature of the pain.
- Lifestyle Changes: Some doctors may recommend lifestyle changes like a new mattress, shoe orthotics, weight loss, or an anti-inflammatory diet.
- Injections: In more severe cases, a pain management doctor may recommend steroid injections or joint injections.
- Surgery: If nothing else works, a doctor may recommend surgery to manually fix the cause of the pain.
Coordinate Holistic Pain Management Care
When you visit a pain management doctor in Tulsa, you won’t need to act as a go-between for all of your different medical providers. Your pain management specialist can coordinate with the other specialists and doctors treating your condition.
Together, these professionals can craft a comprehensive and holistic treatment plan. This can help you focus more on recovery and managing your pain, as opposed to managing treatment details and communication.
Adjust Treatment Plan As Needed
Often, a patient’s treatment needs will change over time. For instance, if pain is due to a broken leg, less medication will likely be needed as the leg heals. Or, in another example, if the pain is due to poor posture or movement, a person will likely feel better as they correct these issues.
Your pain management doctor’s job is to monitor your progress and make sure you’re never being overtreated. This is especially important for anyone taking strong medications; working with a doctor who is knowledgeable about these substances is the safest way to experience medication benefits while avoiding unnecessary complications.
What Qualifications Do Pain Management Doctors Have?
Pain management doctors may specialize in one area of medicine, but they start with the same education as all other licensed medical doctors. These specialists hold both a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate degree from medical school. Then, they need to complete residencies to put their knowledge into practice.
Next, these specialists take tests to become licensed in their states — some take the extra step and become board-certified as well. Overall, the total education it takes to become a doctor can take up to 12 years.
Pain management doctors take this even further by adding a one-year fellowship to learn about pain management. These doctors must also take special board certification exams for the specific area of pain management they’d like to specialize in.
Which Types of Pain Do Pain Management Doctors Treat?
At the end of the day, pain is pain — it’s uncomfortable and, at times, even debilitating for those who suffer, and many patients simply desire to be pain-free, even temporarily. However, there are many different types of pain.
Each type has many potential causes, and pain management doctors must carefully assess which type of pain you’re experiencing to increase the effectiveness of their treatment plans.
Read on to learn more about which types of pain these specialists can treat.
Acute Pain
Acute pain refers to pain that shows up suddenly and tends to be short-lived. It usually feels quite sharp and can be overwhelming. Most of the time, acute pain goes away when the health condition causing it is resolved.
Examples of conditions that can cause acute pain include the following:
- A broken bone
- Surgery
- Burns
- Sprains or strains
- Dental work
- Infections
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain starts small and gradually builds over time. If it continues to go unaddressed, it likely won’t go away on its own. Many times, chronic pain manifests as a dull ache or constant, low-grade pain. However, there are some conditions that can cause sharp and intense chronic pain.
Conditions that can cause chronic pain include the following:
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Endometriosis
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cancer
- Sciatica
- Herniated discs
Nociceptive Pain
This type of pain occurs as a result of damage to tissue. It’s named after nociceptors, which are specialized nerve endings that respond to pain or damage. When these nerve endings sense tissue damage, they send pain signals back to the brain.
Nociceptive pain can occur due to a variety of injuries, including the following:
- Burns
- Cuts
- Broken bones
- Muscle damage
- Joint damage
- Sprains
- Abrasions
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain can be confusing for those who suffer from it because it isn’t caused by obvious damage (like a cut or a fracture). Instead, neuropathic pain is also a type of nerve pain.
Neuropathic pain is related to nerves, but it’s different from nociceptive pain. It occurs due to actual damage to the nerves themselves, as opposed to the tissue surrounding the nerves.
Although the cause isn’t always known, this type of pain can be a symptom of many health conditions and scenarios. These include the following:
- Diabetes
- Surgery
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Strokes
- Herniated disc
- Shingles
- Sciatica
Functional Pain
Finally, pain management doctors may also address functional pain. This type of pain is often hard to pin down because it occurs without a visible injury and isn’t related to nerve damage. In fact, functional pain may not even be related to a health condition or procedure.
Potential causes of functional pain include the following:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Constipation
- Temporomandibular dysfunction
- Chronic cardiac chest pain
- Stress
- Anxiety
What Will Your First Visit With a Pain Management Doctor Look Like?
No matter what type of pain you’re experiencing, there are options available to you if the pain starts to affect your mental health, physical abilities, social life, and ability to perform work responsibilities. A pain management doctor in Stillwater can help diagnose and manage your pain while you focus on recovery and enjoying life.
When you attend your first visit with a pain management specialist, a doctor will likely start by asking what brought you to their practice. This is an opportunity for you to tell them more about the pain and how it has affected your life. Share any labs, scans, or tests you have already completed.
After this, your doctor typically asks some clarifying questions. These could include the following:
- What does your pain feel like?
- On a scale of one to 10, how would you rate your pain?
- Does anything make your pain better or worse?
- When did your pain first begin?
- What were you doing when your pain first started?
- What have you already tried to relieve your pain?
A pain management specialist may request some more testing to be done before they can diagnose the root cause of your pain if you don’t already have a diagnosis. Depending on whether or not your doctor has what they need to form a diagnosis in this first appointment, they may offer advice on how to manage pain at home or start a treatment plan.
Final Thoughts: What Pain Management Can Do for Patients
Whether you’ve already been referred to a pain management specialist or you’ve stumbled upon one on your quest for answers, you may be asking yourself, “What does pain management do?” The answer is quite simple: Pain management doctors diagnose the cause of pain and create a holistic treatment plan to help manage that pain.
At Oklahoma Interventional Pain & Spine, we know how overwhelming it can feel to experience constant pain. Our pain management doctors in Bartlesville are here to help you feel more comfortable and guide you through every step of the pain management process. Schedule an appointment today to see how we can work together.
Sources:
Physical Therapy: What It Is, Different Types & Benefits | Cleveland Clinic
The effect of an anti-inflammatory diet on chronic pain: a pilot study | PMC
What Are Nociceptors? | VeryWellHealth
Chronic Pain | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA