When Should I Refer to a Pain Specialist?

You may think it is best if you just deal with the pain yourself at home with at-home remedies, but often, it is best if you see a pain specialist, as they can provide a better treatment plan and solution to your pain than what you can find with over-the-counter medication help and stretching.

A few signs as to when you should see a pain specialist for your pain are:

• Pain is persistent and has lasted three months or longer
• Primary care doctor, orthopedist, or surgeon has run out of options and treatment plans that are not working
• No one has identified your source of pain thus far
• The pain stops you from being a part of certain activities
• Pain affects your mood and mental well-being negatively
• Unrelenting joint pain, nerve pain, neck pain, or back pain

You may have been told previously there is only one way or no possible way to relieve your symptoms, and if you would like more options and solutions to your pain, Northstar Joint and Spine can provide the professional knowledge that others cannot.

There are many conditions that qualify for pain management; some you may not have known could qualify. Types of pain are normally put into one of these three main groups by pain management doctors, the first is pain due to direct tissue injury, like arthritis. The second type of pain is often due to a nerve injury or a nervous system disease, like a stroke. The third and final type of pain that can be treated by a pain management doctor is a mix of tissue and nerve injury, like back pain.

Other conditions that can be treated by a pain management specialist include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury
• Neuropathy
• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Cancer

Almost everyone has experienced pain at some point in their life, despite it being one of the most common symptoms dealt with, many do not seek medical attention for it, and the pain often goes misunderstood and inefficiently treated.

There are several different types of pain that an individual can experience, they are grouped into different categories which are:

Acute pain – sudden and lasts for a short period of time.

• Broken bone
• Car crash or another type of accident
• Fall
• Burn
• Cut
• Dental work
• Labor or childbirth
• Surgery

Chronic pain – persistent pain that often lasts longer than six months.

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Cancer
• Circulation issues
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache

Breakthrough pain – sudden, short, and often sharp pain that increases over time, and often occurs in individuals who are already taking medications to relieve chronic pain caused by conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and cancer.

Bone pain – tender, aching, or uncomfortable in one or more bones.

Nerve pain – nerve damage pain or due to inflammation, felt often as sharp, shooting, burning, or stabbing pain.

• Alcoholism
• Injury to a nerve, brain, or spinal cord
• Cancer
• Circulation issues
• Diabetes
• Shingles
• Limb amputation
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Phantom pain – Pain that feels like it is coming from an area on the body that is no longer there.

Soft tissue pain – Pain that often results from damage or inflammation to the muscles, tissues, or ligaments.

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Bursitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Rotator cuff
• Sciatic pain
• Sports injuries
• Temporomandibular joint syndrome

Referred pain – often feels like it is coming from one particular location, but it is actually due to an injury or inflammation from another structure or organ.

During your consultation appointment with a pain management specialist, expect to go over the following:

• Reasons why you are visiting them in the first place
• Treatment plans from your primary physician or other medical providers
• Previous procedures
• Previous surgeries
• Current medical issues
• X-rays, lab results, or other diagnostic imaging tests
• List of current medications and prescriptions

If you want to know more about our services, call us or schedule an appointment online! We serve patients from Plano TX, Denton TX, McKinney TX, Richardson TX, Frisco TX, Allen TX, Addison TX, Carrollton TX Corinth TX, Krum TX, Cooper Creek TX, Argyle TX, Ponder TX, Sanger TX, and BEYOND!