A lot of doctors can show you a pain intensity scale, such as the numeric pain rating scale where you can identify how bad your pain is from 0 to 10, 0 being none and 10 as the highest. Others will ask when your pain started, how your pain feels, where your pain is, or even how it affects your activity. However, doing these basic assessment skills doesn’t mean that your doctor is smart enough or qualified enough to give you the care you deserve. Finding a doctor is like putting your life in someone else’s hands.
Don Powell, president of the (AIPM) American Institute for Preventive Medicine once said, “You should shop for your doctor the same way you interview a lawyer or an accountant.”
Yes. Choosing a doctor is important because “not all pain management doctors are the same”. So, make sure you do the research to find the right doctor for you.
Let the Search Begin!
Here, we outlined some of the tips that can help you find and select a pain management doctor that is the ideal fit for you:
- Check for Board Certification or Hospital Affiliation
A doctor with a board certification means that he/she has a medical degree from a qualified medical school, has passed a state medical board exam, and has completed the residency training. It also means that he/she participates in continuing education and physician conferences.
- Consider Your Doctor’s Clinic’s Location
The location of your doctor’s pain management clinic is one of the intangible factors that are really important. Pain is unpredictable and you’ll have to be at the clinic for follow-ups. You don’t want to go driving miles away from home for a consultation, don’t you?
- Check the Services Offered
Some pain management doctors specialize in certain types of treatment or specific pain areas. There are doctors who have a specialty on back pains; others specialize on headaches or migraines. Some offers comprehensive list of procedures, as well as diagnostic tests and rehabilitation equipment. Others offer highly specialized treatments that are only available to certain clinics within a state.
So if you are going to select a pain doctor, research or ask the full list of services they offer.
- Consider the Clinic’s Culture
Physicians have an oath to treat every one fairly whatever an individual’s culture is. However, culture is often reflected on how doctors handle doctor-patient relationships. It might be easier for you to get along with someone of the same culture/belief on pain management/healing.
- Ask your Doctor’s Medical Approach to Pain Management
Every practicing pain doctor has a unique approach to pain management. While some emphasize natural pain treatments, others focus on medication therapy and other advanced therapeutic remedies. In some instances, doctors offer combination of both therapies.
- Determine Which Doctor Accepts Your Insurance
Some insurance health plans have special discounted rates with certain pain management doctors, and with these, you can pay less out of pocket. Ensuring that your insurance is compatible with your doctor’s network will help you avoid spending too much because the doctor doesn’t accept your insurance plan.
The factors we mentioned above will help you decide on the most compatible physician for your personality and healthcare needs. But in the end, the decision in choosing the right pain management doctor depends on you.
Remember, your pain management doctor is your new pain-relieving-medical “home”. So, before finally deciding on who’s going to be your pain doctor, visit the clinic and evaluate if that doctor can meet your needs. Nothing can give you a good feel for whether you’ve chosen the right one like a clinic visit or a face-to-face check-up or meeting. Your pain doctor should be someone you can trust and can rely on to whenever you have pain problems.
Ready to get started? Visit us!
Pegasus Pain Management is a pain management clinic in Dallas with state-of-the-art equipment. Located in Dallas, Lancaster, Fort Worth, and Plano Texas, we specialize in the treatment of back pain, joint pain, neck pain, acute and chronic pain.
Dr Saidov is a Pain Doctor in Dallas Fort Worth Texas. Please contact our Pain Clinic for more information on: back pain in Dallas, cancer pain in Dallas, non-surgical pain treatments in dallas and types of surgery for pain in dallas
Bibliography:
Reports, 2016 C. (2015, May 5). How to find a good doctor. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/09/how-to-choose-a-doctor/index.htm
Cross, B., & Association, B. S. (2016). Five tips for choosing A new primary care physician. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.bcbs.com/blog/five-tips-for-choosing-a-PCP.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/#.WCvPIKIrKRs
Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://health.usnews.com/top-doctors/articles/2011/07/26/how-to-find-the-right-doctor
Reports, 2016 C. (2015, May 5). How to find a good doctor. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/09/how-to-choose-a-doctor/index.htm
