Pain Management - Schaumburg,IL

You've asked some good questions. You don't mention if you are having pain, if you already have a diagnosis, or if you are going to see a pain specialist. I've had experience with pain management doctors so I will do my best to answer your questions by telling you what the doctors did with me.

I have spent the last two years fighting serious migraines, and for the first 18 months I was getting them every day. I was often in the ER with migraines, and had several admissions that lasted 10 days or more with constant pain. I had severl CT scans and MRI's that showed nothing. I was also working with a neurologist who put me on deveral different medications to try and manage the migraines, but nothing worked.

Finally, eight months ago I was referred to a pain management specialist. The specialist did do some labwork, but did not do any other tests as the neurologist had already done them. (Your case may be difference, depending on your circumstances).

The doctor did put me on some long acting pain medications to see if that would help, but it didn't. He also had me do accupuncture, and had me modify my diet (I removed gluten from my diet and it helped). I also started counseling, again at the doctor's request, to see if the therapist and I could figure out triggers to the migraines. My therapist has also helped me use visualisation tecniques during the migraines so I need less medications. This has reduced the amount of ER visits and hospital admissions.

Finally, back in June, I had a minor surgical procedure done where the pain specialist froze some nerves behind my eyes, in an attempt to stop the migraines. The specialist had been able to isolate the nerves causing the migraines.

Since June, I've only had a handful of migraines, maybe 7. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's a lot better than before. I am on some low dose medications now to help control the severity of the migraines, but I can live with that. I know I won't ever be pain free, but the pain management people have really helped me gain control of my life again.

My point is, good pain management doctors should do tests, and will not try to control your pain with just medications. Medications will just mask the pain. Other methods for pain control shoulld be used. If the doctor just wants to use medicine, push for other treatments as well. Don't get me wrong, medicine has it's place, and should be used, but should be used in conjunction with other treatments.

Hope this helps!

There are a lot of answers to your question as it is rather broad. In my personal experience, it depends on the type, the where, the severity, the duration and the cause of the pain.

Basic, every day aches and pains can be treated with OTC analgesics, like motrin/advil products. So yes, they'll treat you with meds.

Neuropathy pain does not improve much with the above meds and more in depth testing needs to be done to help with diagnoses.

Injuries need to be addressed separately.

I was hit by a car and suffered many injuries and am still currently in the rehab process. And I was in total denial about it for the first 2 years. Everything hurt - Nothing seemed to help kind of pain. I worked with 2 PMR docs: Physical Medicine Rehab MD's, plus neurologists, and orthopaedics plus my regular internist. My last PMR doc recommended Accupuncture for my pain and border line auto-immune disorder / fibromyalgia condition. Tried it and LOVED it. I found a husband / wife team who did herbs and auricular therapy ( an ear bleeding technique). Between it all, my health improved and my pain subsided way more than any western medicine was able to accomplish.

You need to take your own health and pain management into you own hands, follow advice, follow the regimes, but be constantly aware of what works and doesn't for you.

Hope you find some help.

Pain management is in its infancy in this country. Doctors often don't really know what to do, other than give you meds.

My son had chronic pain for 5 months a few years ago, and most doctors just stared at me dumbly. They are a little looser with pain meds for adults, but they still assume everyone is going to become addicted.

You may just have to keep going to doctors until you find one that is helpful. That's what I had to do.

The BEST pain drug -- an herb -- is currently declared illegal by the federal govt. We have a State vote coming up shortly in California, people...

If your pain is based on an already diagnosed condition they will just treat the pain. they will look at any records you have from other doctors to evaluate what will work best. For example, my MIL has herniated discs but is not a candidate for surgery because she's not otherwise healthy. So she brought her xrays and records from her spinal orthopedist. My mother is a cancer patient and with her records they were able to treat her pain right away.

If you're dealing with pain that hasn't been diagnosed they will want to find out the cause of the pain. Pain management doctors primarily work with patients who've exhausted other options like surgery, manipulation, etc. and need their pain to be addressed.

Does that help?

There was a special just a few months ago (20/20?) about pain management doctors popping up everywhere and from what the story said, they aren't really legit at all, but just subscribe very addictive pills that most people pop themselves or sell on the street. It's big business and most get shut down within months.

So, if those are the what you are referring to, no, I don't think they test to see why. If you go to legitimate doctor, he should try to figure it out and use meds as a last resort.

They should send you for tests to see what is causing your pain and treat it accordingly. And hopefully your pain gets better.