Why Is My Doctor Sending Me to Pain Management?

Find a compassionate pain management specialist in New Jersey by calling (732) 720-0247.

Over 50 million Americans experience some kind of chronic pain, according to the CDC. If you are one of those 50 million Americans, your primary care physician might send you to a pain management specialist. What exactly is a pain management specialist, and why would a doctor send you to one?

The team at NJ Pain Care Specialists is here to answer the question: Why is my doctor sending me to pain management?

Pain Management Clinic Treat Pain

All doctors treat pain to a certain extent, but pain management specialists focus specifically on identifying, diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic pain. To that end, pain management specialists combine a wide range of medical knowledge to treat and manage the many different complex manifestations of acute and chronic pain conditions.

Pain management clinics not only treat the causes of pain but also:

Provide information on how to manage pain
Give pain science education
Reduce pain symptoms
Increase functioning
Give patients more control of their lives

Why Is My Doctor Referring Me to a Pain Management Clinic?

A patient might wonder, “Why is my doctor sending me to pain management?”

When your doctor refers you to a pain management clinic, it means that you need a specialist to help you address your specific pain problems. For example, your primary care physician might refer you to a pain management specialist if:

Pain interrupts your daily functioning
Pain makes it hard to eat, sleep, or bathe
Pain affects your mood and judgment
Pain causes you mental distress
Pain exacerbates other medical conditions (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, etc.)
Pain prevents injury and wound healing

Pain is a highly complex phenomenon with several causes, and a general practitioner might not have the specialized knowledge to treat pain in all its modalities. Pain management clinics have experts who holistically treat pain to address how it affects you every day.

Additionally, many insurance plans require your doctor to refer you to a pain management specialist to cover additional treatment.

How Does a Pain Management Doctor Treat Pain?

Pain management modalities are diverse and draw from a wide range of medical sciences. However, you can generally divide pain management methods into three main categories.

Drug Therapy

Drug therapy for pain includes medication and drugs meant to lessen, treat, or eliminate pain. Pain medicine can include simple OTC products like Tylenol to reduce inflammation and complex drugs like pain blockers that block nerve signaling to eliminate pain.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy includes a wide range of exercises, stretches, and routines meant to strengthen muscle tissue and reduce pain. For example, physical therapy exercises have been shown to reduce lower back pain by almost 50%, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine includes various procedures meant to heal bodily structures and strengthen them to reduce or eliminate pain. For example, platelet-rich plasma therapy involves injecting additional platelets into an injury site to accelerate the body’s natural healing response.

Pain management specialists will usually attempt non-invasive, non-surgical pain management techniques before performing an invasive surgical procedure. However, surgery may sometimes be necessary to treat specific pain conditions, such as torn ligaments or muscles.

Benefits of Pain Management Clinic

Visiting a pain management clinic has several benefits, such as:

Pain management clinics provide expert knowledge and specialized treatment that can target specific manifestations of pain. Pain management specialists have more experience treating specific types of pain than general practitioners.
Pain management clinics not only treat pain but also provide methods to deal with and manage pain in patients’ daily lives.
Pain management centers also focus on how pain affects the rest of your body and work to provide a holistic approach to pain management and treatment that accounts for your emotional and mental well-being.

Contact Compassionate Pain Care Specialists in New Jersey

At NJ Pain Care Specialists, we strive to help fellow New Jersey residents find the relief they need from debilitating pain. With our state-of-the-art technology and experienced and compassionate treatment providers, we can provide the treatment you need in a welcoming environment. Whether you suffered a recent injury or have a health condition causing pain, we can help.

Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available. Contact our team online or call today at (732) 720-0247 to schedule an appointment!

We can help you identify your pain and find relief.

Pain Management Clinic FAQ

Does Insurance Cover Pain Management Clinic Treatment?

It depends on your specific policy, but most insurance policies will cover some kind of pain management if your doctor prescribes it. Your insurance policy may cover pain management clinic visits if you receive a referral from your primary care physician.

What Are the Main Types of Pain?

The main types of pain include nociceptive, neuropathic, and inflammatory. Your doctor can help you identify the type of pain you’re experiencing and curate a custom treatment plan to address it.

When Should I Consider Seeing a Pain Management Clinic?

You should visit a pain management doctor if your pain has lasted more than two weeks and is affecting your mood or impeding your ability to function in daily life. You may also want to schedule an appointment with a pain management clinic if you have had little success with other management techniques and procedures.