Are you looking for a Lower back pain Chiropractor in Los Angeles? Pain management is an increasingly growing medical specialty that embraces a multi-disciplinary approach to treating all kinds of pain. The practice forms a critical component in caring for people with neck pain, back pain, sciatica, sports, injuries, and so much more.
What Does a Pain Management Doctor Do?
Pain management doctors specialize in diagnosing, treating, and managing pain and a range of painful disorders. A pain management doctor understands the complex nature of pain and relies on patient-centric approaches to minimize pain or eliminate it. Sudden pain problems like headaches and chronic pain, such as low back pain, are just examples of pain conditions that pain management physicians can help develop a treatment plan to relieve, reduce, or manage.
Pain management doctors have advanced training that qualifies them to treat you when experiencing any pain. A pain management doctor typically:
– Evaluates a patient’s medical history and any test results they might have
– Performs a physical exam on the patient
– Evaluates a patient’s answers to pain questionnaires
– Depending on the condition, orders and interprets laboratory tests, neurologic exams, imaging exams, and muscle and nerve studies.
– Diagnoses and treats spinal stenosis, diabetic neuropathy, migraine headaches, herniated discs, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, burn pain, and cancer pain.
– Prescribes appropriate medications
– Orders physical therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, electrical stimulation therapy, and counseling
– Refers you to a qualified surgeon if necessary
Who Should See a Pain Management Physician?
Many people see a pain management physician when their primary care doctor refers them to one. However, anyone with pain should consider consulting an experienced pain medicine doctor. A specialized physician then conducts proper pain diagnosis and administer the most appropriate treatment options. The range of pain that pain management physician handles is broad from chronic pain conditions all through cancer pain to any other form of acute pain. Remember, a pain medicine doctor is not a surgeon. If there’s a need for surgery in a particular case, they’ll refer you to the appropriate surgeon.
Physical Therapy – And How it Helps Pain Management
Are you wondering how physical therapy treats pain? Physical therapists diagnose the specific cause of your pain and the underlying conditions that lead to it. In their interest are areas of weakness or stiffness that tend to worsen places that hurt. They then treat the areas with specific exercises that ease the pain.
There are various types of therapies and techniques that physical therapists use daily to manage pain.
Exercise – Several studies have pointed out that those who exercise regularly experience less pain. Licensed therapists would prescribe exercises that are specific to your health goals and needs.
Manual Therapy – This is a hands-on approach to treating pain. When handled by experienced physical therapists, this type of care can effectively reduce your pain and improve overall body movement. Manual therapy entails hand manipulation, joint and soft tissue mobilization, dry needling, and many other strategies.
Education – Physical therapists will first understand your pain history before setting realistic expectations about your treatment. Experienced pain management physicians understand the importance of dealing with patients who understand their conditions and what is expected of them for full recovery from pain.
Your First Visit to Pain Management Doctor
At your first visit to a pain management clinic, the pain management doctor will ask you questions about your pain symptoms. Expect the specialist to evaluate your medical history and any test results you might have. Therefore, it helps if you bring any prior medical examination results like X-rays, CT scans, etc.
It helps to be aware of your pain patterns so that you precisely answer questions like:
– Where is your pain? (body part)
– What does your pain feel like? (aching, tingling, dull)
– How often do you feel pain? (day, night)
– When do you feel the pain? (when doing an activity or at rest)
– Is the pain worse standing, sitting, or lying down?
– Does medication help with your pain?
– Are there any other noticeable symptoms when you have your pain?
Good Qualities of a Pain Management Doctor
Communication plays a huge role in a doctor-patient relationship. This helps in understanding the patient’s medical condition and developing a plan to relieve, reduce, or manage pain.
Here are some desirable qualities of a pain management doctor that may also paint a good picture of a pain clinic:
– Possesses in-depth knowledge of various pain disorders
– Professionally evaluates patients with complex pain disorders.
– Appropriately prescribes suitable medications for pain problems.
– Relies on different diagnostic tests to pinpoint the cause of pain
– Has a good network of an interdisciplinary team of other health professionals to refer the patient.
– Works with helpful staff and treatment plan that embraces the patient’s wishes and belief system
– Up-to-date equipment that supports skill with procedures
Dr. Steven Becker has been voted one of the best chiropractors in Los Angeles on different occasions. His services come with over 30 years of experience as a physical therapist. Same-day appointments are available for customized care you can count on. Becker works with well-trained staff to offer treatment for sciatica, neck pain, herniated discs, sports injuries, whiplash, headaches, and more.
