As we work and deal with clients, we notice this question coming up a lot with new people coming in for their initial interviews and consultations. Aren’t all doctors pain management doctors? Don’t all doctors, in one way or another, stop you from experiencing pain?
Yes and no.
as pain management specialists, we aren’t always treating the specific cause of the pain in the first place. Many times, we don’t come into the picture until several months or even years after the initial trauma that has caused the pain we treat. Beyond the healing phase, pain often persists. That is the pain that we focus our efforts on.
The pain we specialize in is known as chronic pain. Pain that comes and goes in a constant and predictable manner, over long periods of time. Sometimes entire lifetimes.
3 types of pain that are treated by pain specialists
Visceral pain
Organ-related pains. Typically, due to disease or trauma of some kind. Pain persists long after the initial cause has subsided.
Somatic pain
Body pain. Meaning muscle pains, bone pains, ligament pains, tendon pains, tissue pains, skin pains, etc.
There are hundreds of potential causes for sematic pains. Including injury, trauma, disease, age, stress, and more.
Joint pains, like the knee, shoulder, and spinal pains are often considered part of the somatic pain group.
Neuropathic pain
Nerve pain. Like someone who has had trauma to a nerve group, an amputation, etc.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this pain is usually upper 9s and 10s. Nerve damage is the most unbearable pain that our patients tend to experience, and the one they most need help controlling.
Pain treatment techniques commonly used by doctors
There are more than 10 different pain management procedures that we perform on a regular basis. These range from non-surgical procedures, to injection therapy, to minimally invasive procedures like endoscopy.
The type of procedure we use to treat you is based heavily on the type of pain you have, what caused it, and how long it has been persistent.
If you would like to read more about our many procedures, you can check the pain treatment tab in our menu.
And, as always, if you have any questions about what you just read, please feel free to get in touch with us.