Pain management doctors in most cases happen to be anesthesiologists. Anesthesiologists ensure that you are safe, pain-free and comfortable during and after surgery. They are also at work in the labor and delivery area, or in doctors' chambers where painful medical tests or procedures are performed. But the methods applied by anesthesiologists have now traveled beyond these familiar territories, and led to the development of a new category of medicine known as pain medicine.
In many cases, an anesthesiologist heads a team of other specialists and doctors who work together to alleviate your pain. The anesthesiologist or other pain medicine doctors like neurologists, oncologists, orthopedists, physiatrists and psychiatrists, and non-physician specialists like nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical or rehabilitation therapists and psychologists, join together to assess your condition. After a thorough assessment, this team of specialists develops a treatment plan just for you.
Pain management doctors are specialists at diagnosing the reasons for your pain as well as treating the pain itself. Arthritis, back and neck pain, cancer pain, nerve pain, migraine headaches, shingles, and phantom limb pain for amputees are among the most common pain problems they usually manage.
Pain management doctors also treat acute pain caused by surgery, a debilitating illness or a serious injury. Among such pains is post knee-joint replacement pain, pain during recovery from a car accident, pain following stomach or chest surgery, or pain associated with sickle cell disease. They can treat the patient in the hospital or in an outpatient clinic.
The pain medicine doctor usually works closely with your own physician. They will review your medical records and X-rays as required. To have a clear understanding of the case, they will give you a detailed questionnaire. Your replies will help them to assess how your pain is affecting your daily life. Pain management doctors will also carry out a complete physical examination on you. They may even go for additional tests and review all the results to find the root cause of your pain and determine how the problem can be solved.
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