Frequently Asked Questions

The initial step to manage pain is to find a doctor that works with you to alleviate your pain, listens to your symptoms and spends time with you to discover the causes of your discomfort. It is also very important to manage your expectations of pain management treatment. Pain is a very personal journey, and what works for one person, might not work for another. Our pain management specialists are dedicated to developing highly personalized treatment plans to meet each patient’s unique needs.

After you have been referred for pain management services by your primary care physician, your care team will first take a complete medical history. This information can help disclose underlying conditions – acute or chronic – that may be triggering or exacerbating the pain. It is also important information to be considered when planning the course of treatment for optimal outcome. Remember, too, that your pain management physician is not a substitute for your primary care physician. We encourage you to continue with your primary care physician for comprehensive healthcare during your course of pain management therapy.

When the condition has been diagnosed as specifically as medical science will allow, the therapeutic path can then be formulated.

Relaxation / Biofeedback: Some pain is controllable without the use of medication or neuro-mechanical intervention. Pain is addressed first by considering the least invasive method of control. Techniques can include working with a qualified healthcare specialist on methods of relaxation therapy, biofeedback, stress management and self-hypnosis techniques. Once learned, some of these therapies can be utilized by the patients to control the pain without other medical intervention.

Physical Therapy: If pain originates in a muscle or muscle group, the patient may be referred to a physical therapist for evaluation. Muscle, ligament and tendon involvement may exhibit an accompanying pain with weakness, tightness or aberrant movement pattern. Physical therapists can then evaluate if a personal rehabilitation program can alleviate the pain.

Medication Intervention: Pain and the resulting secondary symptoms and conditions that it triggers can sometimes be addressed through pharmacologic management. In addition to abating or eliminating the pain at hand, pharmacologic management may also be helpful in reducing secondary symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, fear, anger and depression. Medications may be oral, intramuscularly-injected (IM), or injected at the site of pain to block specific nerve pathways.

Medical Management: Other approaches that may be used with or without medication therapy include radiofrequency neuroblation (radio waves are used to interrupt nerve pain impulses), spinal cord stimulators (which deliver low levels of energy directly to nerve fibers) or implantable morphine infusion pumps.