Key Roles of a Pain Management Specialist

A pain specialist doctor is concerned about the ability of a patient to function and quality of life. Pain often associated with severe medical conditions can lead to reduced functional ability. In such a case, the primary physician may refer the patient to a pain management specialist.

The role of a pain management specialist is to provide physical medicine along with rehabilitation with a special interest in musculoskeletal conditions. Also, some pain specialists hold advanced training in Interventional Pain Management (IPM). IPM is nothing but an area of medicine that is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pain-related disorders.

Now, you may wonder what a pain management specialist called - they are called are physiatrics. Let's see what physiatrists do.

Pain Management Specialist Job Description

If you ask what is a pain management specialist, the answer is simple. It is a doctor or specialist or physiatrist, with expertise to diagnose and treat spinal disorders.

A pain management specialist develops a treatment plan to relieve, reduce and manage pain to help patients carry out their daily routine without surgery or heavy reliance on medication.

To ensure patients’ needs, the physician often coordinates care through an interdisciplinary team of health professionals. These include:

• Physiatrists

• Anesthesiologists

• Internists

• Surgical specialists

• Psychiatrists

• Psychologists

• Oncologists

• Occupational Therapists

• Physical Therapists

• Nurses

Out of all these, the role of a pain management specialist is to improve the overall quality of life. With this, they start the whole patient and not just focus on one body part.

What Does Pain Management Do for Back Pain?

Before beginning the course of therapy to ease the pain of a patient, the pain specialist understands the cause of pain. Often, in some pain cases, the cause may be obvious including spinal fracture. However, in chronic pain, the cause or causes may be complicated and make diagnosis difficult. The physician relies on the medical history, neurological examination, and physical examination of the patient. In addition, a few more diagnostic tools can help to support or rule out a suspected diagnosis.

In-Depth Patient Evaluation

The patient and physician work closely about the current problems of the patient along with medical history. The physician may ask certain questions including when and how the pain started to have a clear picture about the activities that increase or reduce pain along with current and past treatments.

Physical and Neurological Examination

A physical examination helps in assessing the vital signs of the patient including pulse, respiration, heartbeat, blood pressure, and so forth. On the other hand, a neurological examination assesses the patient's sensory and motor capabilities including reflexes, balance, ability to walk, muscle strength, and muscle tone.

The common tests include the following:

• X-Ray or Radiograph to reveal the condition of the body's bony structures. Results may suggest more testing if necessary.

• CT scan (Computed Tomography) is a 3-dimensional imaging study also used to evaluate bone and soft tissue.

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a powerful imaging tool. It is commonly used for musculoskeletal evaluation as it provides great detail about bones and soft tissues.

• PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) uses small amounts of radionuclides (radioactive isotopes) to measure tissue changes at the cellular level. This test is performed when cancer is suspected.

• Discography allows the physician to evaluate the intervertebral discs as a possible pain source. The test evaluates the structural integrity of the discs and may be used to replicate back or leg pain. The procedure involves the use of a contrast dye injected into each suspect disc to be examined by x-ray or CT scan.

• Electrodiagnostic tools include NCS (Nerve Conduction Study) and EMG (Electromyography).

• NCS (Nerve Conduction Study) evaluates the speed of nerve impulses as they travel along a nerve. This test can help determine if there is nerve damage, the extent of the damage and if nerves have been destroyed.

• EMG (Electromyography) uses nerve stimulation to evaluate electrical activity within selected muscle fibers. The test measures muscle response and detects muscle damage and disease. It can help to distinguish between a muscle and nerve disorder.

Takeaway

A pain management specialist is an expert dealing with various pain disorders, treating them, and improving the quality of life.

Contact Dr. Jeff Marc Steinberg

If you are dealing with some or other kind of pain in your body for a long time, you should probably visit a pain specialist and get it treated. If you need assistance from a qualified pain management specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Jeff Marc Steinberg can be of help. To know more, visit here.