If you or someone you love are suffering from chronic pain, you know how disruptive and destabilizing it can be in a person’s day-to-day life. When pain persists for more than three months — as it does for more than 50 million Americans — it’s time to see a medical practitioner.
Yet finding a pain management specialist near you can be challenging, especially if you live in a small town or remote rural area. In this post, we’ll show you the qualifications to look for in a true pain management specialist and how to locate one nearby who can help you overcome your chronic suffering.Â
Why Chronic Pain Patients Need a Specialist
Chronic pain is a complex condition that can be experienced in just about any part of the body, including neuropathic pain (nerve pain), musculoskeletal pain (pain in muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons), and inflammatory pain (caused by inflammation). It can be caused by an injury, surgery, nerve damage, or conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
While acute pain alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain stays with you even after the injury has healed. This ongoing agony can lead to other physical effects like tense muscles, limited mobility, lack of energy, and changes in appetite. It can also affect us emotionally through depression, anxiety, fear of re-injury, and the prospect of a decreased quality of life.
That’s why chronic pain is often considered not merely a symptom but a disease itself that needs treatment.
A pain management specialist is a medical professional — typically a doctor, registered nurse, physician assistant, or other certified practitioner — who is trained in diagnosing and treating pain. They possess the following qualifications:Â
• Understanding the physiology of pain
• Evaluating patients with complicated pain problems accurately
• Conducting specialized tests for diagnosing painful conditions
• Prescribing medications to varying pain problems
• Performing procedures such as nerve blocks, steroid injections, and other interventional techniques
These specialists thoroughly evaluate a patient’s condition and develop a comprehensive treatment plan to alleviate their pain and improve functionality. They most often take a multidisciplinary approach to care, which can include medication management, physical therapy, psychological counseling, and procedures like nerve blocks or injections.
How to Find a Pain Management Specialist Near Me
These days, finding a local pain management specialist can be as easy as a quick web search on your phone. However, it may be difficult to find a clinic close to your home depending on where you live. Chronic pain patients who live in more remote areas are frequently unable or unwilling to travel for an hour or more to get the help they so desperately need.
You can also ask your primary care doctor for referrals to a pain management specialist. Local hospitals and health centers often have a list of specialists affiliated with them.
For patients who live in rural areas, you may want to consider checking HPM’s network of pain management specialists in a growing number of states across the country.
Explore the HPM Pain Management Network
With some of the best-trained and most experienced pain management experts, HPM’s main goal is to help chronic pain patients in small towns get faster, more direct access to effective treatment. Our specialists are committed to helping you manage your pain and improve your quality of life.
Find an HPM pain management specialist near you and start your journey towards pain-free living. With the right help, managing chronic pain offers real hope for a healthier, happier life.
