Acute Pain Management
Acute pain management focuses on treating pain regardless of the cause. These specialists are called when a painful condition does not respond to pain management treatments aiming to “fix” the problem.
Some practitioners focus more on pharmacologic management, and others on more interventional treatments such as injections. In pharmacological pain management, the goal is to prescribe medications that provide maximal pain control with the least potential side effects.
During the first visit with the pain management specialist, an evaluation will be performed, and based on those results, diagnostic tests may be ordered and/or medications or other treatments prescribed. Each individual reacts differently to medications.
Several trial courses of medication may be required to determine which one or combination works best for each patient. Often, a team approach using a combination of specialties may be required.
Additional referrals may be made to outside specialists for evaluations, additional treatments, and counseling to help deal with all issues associated with the patient’s chronic pain and its impact on their life.
Follow-up appointments will be made to continually monitor the patient’s condition, review and renew prescriptions, and perform blood tests and urinalysis to help identify potentially harmful side effects.