Why Should I Visit A Pain Doctor? | A Harvard Pain Doctor Weighs In
If you’re wondering ‘who is the best pain doctor without surgery?’ then you aren’t the only one. Nowadays, many orthopedic surgeons rely on surgery as the only treatment option for different types of pain. Surgery is now used to treat an array of medical complaints, ranging from chronic back pain to shorter-term acute pain.
However, surgery carries many risks and is not always the best way to optimize health. Some risks of surgery include: blood clots, wound infections, problems with anesthesia, long recovery periods and over-reliance on pain medication. In addition, it is no secret that the United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, and taking long-term pain medication can have negative health consequences.
There are many ways to treat pain without surgery. Rather than undergoing invasive and risky surgical procedures, it is important to consider visiting a board-certified pain doctor. A pain doctor (also known as a pain management physician) has access to the latest techniques in regenerative medicine and can use these techniques to accurately assess and diagnose a range of pain complaints. Pain doctors use conservative treatment options to make pain manageable and boast successful outcomes and fast recovery periods.
In particular, a board-certified pain doctor is someone who has undergone rigorous academic examinations and is in the top level of their field. They have an extensive medical background and rely on their in-depth knowledge and expertise to diagnose and treat a range of pain conditions. They can also recommend the best physical therapist in conjunction with your conservative treatment choice. If you visit a board certified pain doctor, then you can be rest assured that your doctor has received the highest levels of medical training beyond medical school.
What Is The Aim Of A Pain Doctor?
The main aim of a pain doctor is to achieve maximum health outcomes via minimally invasive procedures. Pain doctors have access to the latest techniques in regenerative medicine and rely on their abundant skill and experience in pain medicine to treat a variety of pain complaints and conditions.
Pain doctors do not believe that patients should undergo unnecessary surgery or rely on narcotics and NSAIDs for long periods of time. Surgery can be problematic for many individuals, particularly those who have pre-disposing health conditions. Research is also beginning to shed light on the negative health consequences associated with long-term narcotics use and lengthy recovery periods post-surgery.
Due to these drawbacks, pain doctors provide their patients with the latest conservative techniques in pain medicine to accurately assess, diagnose and treat pain. Let’s take a look at some of the key credentials to consider when looking for the best pain doctor without surgery. Then, we’ll discuss the type of treatments available that avoid surgical intervention.
The Key Qualities And Credentials In Your Pain Doctor
Before committing to surgery, it is important to consider visiting a pain doctor. Pain doctors are able to provide a thorough assessment and treatment of your pain complaint without relying on risky surgeries and long-term pain medication.
When you’re considering visiting a pain doctor, it’s important to look at the credentials and qualities they embody. To help you, here’s a list of key questions to ask yourself:
Does My Pain Doctor Provide Conservative Treatments?
Maximizing health through minimally invasive procedures is the best way to achieve positive and successful health outcomes. That’s why it is important to visit a pain doctor that believes in avoiding unnecessary surgeries and long-term narcotics as they do not optimize health.
Is My Pain Doctor Board Certified?
Board certification demonstrates that your pain doctor has achieved the highest levels of medical training beyond medical school. It shows that they have passed rigorous academic and practical medical training and will be able to provide exceptional conservative treatment options for you.
Did My Pain Doctor Graduate From An Ivy League Institution?
If your pain doctor is an Ivy League alumni, it means they have attended a medical school that has strict and rigorous academic and research-based programs. Your pain doctor will be dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of educational and empirical understanding and will constantly remain up-to-date with the latest advances in medicine.
Is My Doctor Friendly And Trustworthy?
Your pain doctor should look beyond your physical symptoms. Physical and emotional comfort are important concepts at the core of the patient-doctor relationship. Your pain doctor should make you feel at ease and you should feel comfortable enough to ask them any questions you may have about your pain and subsequent treatment.
The Best Conservative Treatment Options
Now that we’ve discussed the key qualities in the best pain doctor without surgery, let’s take a deeper look at the variety of conservative treatment options available.
Treating symptoms without understanding why you have pain is not the best way to optimize health. Once your pain doctor has understood what it is that is causing your pain, they will be able to provide conservative treatment options to get you back to full health. Your pain doctor can also recommend the best physical therapist to assist in your recovery. Let’s take a look at some examples of the leading minimally invasive treatment available:
Shoulder pain treatments:
- Steroid injections – steroid injections can be injected directly into the area of pain to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy – your pain doctor can extract growth factors from your blood. These growth factors are then injected into the area of pain to promote the growth of new, healthy cells. This encourages the body’s natural healing properties and is an excellent way to target the direct root of your pain.
Back pain treatments:
- Lumbar Facet Injection – local anesthetic is injected into one or more of the joints in the spine and provides immediate pain relief.
- Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection – a combination of local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medicine is injected to alleviate pain in the lower back and leg. This reduces pain and inflammation.
Knee pain treatments:
- Steroid injection – anti-inflammatory pain medicine is injected into the knee to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Genicular Nerve Block – local anesthetic is injected into the knee. This stops the nerves from transferring pain signals and provides instant pain relief.
Why Should I Visit The VIP Medical Group?
If you’re struggling with pain, consider visiting the VIP Medical group. Our helpful and friendly staff will welcome you to our Center of Excellence where you will be treated in our state-of-the-art facilities. Our Ivy League, board-certified pain doctors have access to the latest treatments to target and treat your pain in a minimally invasive and maximally effective way. Before committing to risky surgeries, consider having a consultation with leaders in the field of pain medicine who are on-hand to answer any concerns you may have.