Patients who experience neck and back pain may think they have to live through the pain. However, by consulting a pain control specialist called a pain management doctor, patients will discover they can live pain-free, without having to take pain medication. Fellowship trained in interventional pain management after having completed a four-year residency program in either physical medicine and rehabilitation, anesthesia, or rheumatology, these pain specialists can make all the difference for patients with musculoskeletal system or nerve-related pain. CNSO has qualified pain management doctors who are part of a patient’s care team at locations throughout northern New Jersey. Here, CNSO talks about what a pain management doctor does.
The Role of a Pain Management Doctor
A pain management specialist, also referred to as a pain management doctor, specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating muscle pain, joint pain, nerve pain, and migraine headaches. Their expertise surrounds the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. Typically, an interventional pain management doctor diagnoses and treats the cause of pain with small injections of steroids within the key areas that will have the greatest effect on pain relief. They are also trained to escalate the patient to the correct specialist if the cause of pain requires a surgical procedure or is a type of cancer. Acute or chronic pain management can be a combination of medications and injections along with physical therapy to alleviate the cause of pain, allowing the patient to become pain free. Certain conditions may require a surgeon to reshape a congenital, arthritic, or diseased anatomical structure. Cancer patients often experience chronic pain that can be alleviated by a pain management doctor.
Pain management specialists often see patients with pain in their neck, mid back, lower back, shoulders, elbow, hands, arms knees, and hips. By examining the patient, the CNSO pain specialist can decipher the root cause and origin of the pain. Common conditions a pain management specialist will treat include:
- Arthritis
- Pinched nerve
- Bursitis
- Stenosis
- Rotator Cuff Tear
- Pyriformis related pain
- Facet joint disease
- Herniated disc
- Fibromyalgia
- Joint pain
- Migraine
- Sciatica
- Musculoskeletal triggers
Pain Management Options
A pain management doctor often will try multiple therapies to help their patients. These therapies can include any of the following:
- Acupuncture: A practice that uses thin needles placed into the skin at strategic points. It is believed that needles stimulate the central nervous system, and the muscles, spine, and brain release chemicals that promote healing.
- Anti-inflammatory medication: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help reduce swelling and pain that a patient experiences.
- Basivertebral Nerve Ablation: For patients with axial lumbar back pain when the pain originates from the basivertebral nerve within the vertebral bone.
- Chiropractic treatment: This treatment focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine.
- Dietary changes: A change in diet can help a patient lose weight, decrease inflammation, and promote an overall sense of well-being.
- Epidural steroid injections: This is a fast way to deliver a low dose of corticosteroid medication by a pinched nerve, herniated disk, or compressed spinal cord to help patients experience immediate neck pain or back pain relief that may be long-lasting and help avoid surgery.
- Joint injections: A joint injection delivers medication to the specific problematic joint to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.
- Massage therapy:Using soft tissue manipulation techniques, massage therapy can reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, tightness, and stress while improving circulation.
- Nerve blockers: A type of medication injected to block the transmission of pain signals from specific nerves in a patient’s body.
- Physical therapy: Physical therapy uses massage, stretching, and strengthening exercises to provide pain relief, promote healing, and prevent future injuries or ailments.
- Radiofrequency ablation: Also known as RFA, radiofrequency ablation is a procedure in which heat is used to non-invasively eliminate painful dysfunctional nerves within minutes. It can provide neck or back pain relief for years.
- Spinal cord stimulation: Using neuromodulation, electrical impulses are delivered to the spine or nerves, which decrease or eliminate pain by blocking pain signals. The small device that sends electric pulses to the spinal cord is inserted under the skin during a minor procedure under IV sedation.
In general, pain management doctors often are successful at eliminating pain or minimizing the occurrences of joint, back, neck, and nerve pain using conservative treatments, including steroid injections or minimally invasive procedures before considering surgical procedures. Pain management doctors also may recommend that patients participate in medical trials and studies if other pain management therapies have not worked.
Receive a Second Opinion from CNSO
The pain management specialists at CNSO understand patients may want a second opinion regarding what can be done to eliminate pain. CNSO’s pain management specialists know a second opinion can help patients feel the correct diagnosis has been identified and receive more education to better understand their condition and treatment options. At CNSO, the doctors believe the best practice is less medication and attempting conservative care, in compliance with evidence-based medicine.
When a patient schedules a consultation with CNSO, every part of the diagnosis and treatment plan is reviewed. A compassionate group of pain management physicians educates patients on their diagnoses, explains the most effective treatment options, and ensures patients understand their expected course toward wellness, including:
- Symptoms
- Medical conditions
- Previous testing
- Diagnosis
- Treatment options
- Recovery process
At CNSO, one-hour consultations are booked to give enough time for the pain management specialist to discuss a thorough diagnosis, explain the treatment plan, and allow for questions from the patient.
Let CNSO Help With Pain Management
At Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics, the dedicated surgical and non-surgical team understands how pain can impact daily life. Patients at CNSO will receive comprehensive and coordinated care so that they can resume a healthy, less painful lifestyle that is free from disability. The care team at CNSO includes leading board-certified neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, interventional pain management physicians, physiatrists, rehabilitation specialists, and certified physical therapists.
CNSO offers multiple convenient locations across northern New Jersey, including Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris, and Hudson counties. Northern New Jersey patients can learn more about effectively managing their pain by contacting the medical team at CNSO today.
