What Does A Pain Management Physician Do?

A Pain Management Physician or pain management specialist, is a medical doctor (M.D.)  who specializes in pain medicine. 

Pain Management is a medical specialty that focuses on the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of pain.

Pain Management Physicians specialize in the management of pain disorders, and pain as a symptom of disease. They treat patients who experience pain related to a specific cause such as an automobile accident, a sports related injury, or patients who suffer pain as a primary condition (e.g., frequent headaches, neuropathic pain).

Pain Management Physicians work closely with other health care providers to coordinate patient care and specialize in diagnosing conditions, providing treatment, prescribing medications and performing procedures to relieve pain.

Pain management Physicians work in a variety of settings, such as private practices, hospitals, and pain clinics.

Pain Management

Pain management physicians use a number of techniques to diagnose and treat pain disorders. Pain evaluations often include taking a personal and family medical history, assessing the patient’s activity level, any blood or imaging tests, electrodiagnostic studies), and performing a physical examination.

Treatment for pain varies, depending on the patient and cause. Some treatments are designed to reduce pain, and some are designed to help patients manage pain.

Methods used to relieve pain include the following:

• Implantable devices (e.g., pumps, stimulators)
• Injections (e.g., corticosteroids)
• Medications
• Nerve blocks
• Trigger point injections