What To Expect From Pain Management Clinics

Chronic pain impacts many Americans, and it comes in many forms, from arthritis to the after effects of strokes. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, one treatment option is to attend a pain management clinic. A pain management clinic is a clinic where a patient goes to diagnose and treat their chronic pain issues.

What is a Pain Management Clinic?

At a pain management clinic, there will often be different medical professionals there to assist in a patient’s healing journey, from doctors to physical therapists to neurologists. Some pain management clinics will specialize in the pain management of one specific area, such as the back, but other pain management clinics will focus on the entire body.

Why Use a Pain Management Clinic?

One advantage of pain management clinics is that they will help patients find treatments that allow them to avoid prescription painkillers. In 2015, drug overdose was the leading cause of accidental death in the US, with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2015. Though opioid and narcotic drugs are a treatment option, pain management clinics help to find other tools to assist in lessening or eliminating a patient’s chronic pain.

What Should I Expect My First Visit?

During your first visit to a pain management clinic, you will be asked a series of questions by your doctor so that they can begin to develop a treatment plan for your chronic pain. Come prepared to talk about where your pain occurs, how bad your pain hurts you, how often your pain reoccurs, what makes it feel better and worse, and any symptoms that pop up with your pain. The more prepared and honest you are with your doctor about what you are feeling, the more accurately your doctor will be able to diagnose what is wrong and help with the proper treatments for your pain.

How Do I Find Pain Management Clinics?

When seeking pain management clinics near you, you have a few options. You can look for pain management clinics online or ask for a referral from your primary care physician. Once you find a doctor at a local clinic that you are interested in contacting, look up reviews from their patients. These reviews can give you a good idea of what to expect from any particular doctor during your treatment program.

Though seeking medical help for your chronic pain management may seem like a lot at first, finding a pain management clinic and doctor you trust can help immensely on your journey to finding a way to cope with your chronic pain. There are many ways to treat chronic pain, and the right pain management clinic will help you find what treatment plan will work for you.