Deciding to see a pain management doctor can be considered one of the best decisions you can make for your health. As an important and personal decision, your pain management doctor is the best resource for managing your pain and protecting your health. So how do you choose the best pain management doctor for your pain? Here are some essential factors to keep in mind:
How to Choose The Best Pain Management Doctor For Your Care
Pain management doctors are physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating pain. They are advanced and qualified to provide pain management services for illnesses and injuries like sports injuries or cancer. However, pain management doctors excel at providing their time and expertise to patients with chronic pain, including migraines, sciatica, and fibromyalgia.
When it comes to choosing the right pain management doctor for you, however, there are some important factors to keep in mind:
- The Doctor’s Credentials: Excellent pain management doctors should have board certifications from organizations such as the American Board of Pain Medicine, the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association. Alongside these certifications, your doctor should have completed a pain medicine fellowship program and have no history of malpractice claims or disciplinary actions. By researching their credentials on state websites, you can confirm that the physician you see is qualified to treat you.
- The Doctor’s Experience: Even more important than their credentials is their experience. They should have years of experience with certain conditions or procedures they provide. If they advertise treatments for specific conditions, then it’s important to ask them how they perform those procedures and what their comp-locates rates are with their treatments.
- Get Referrals From Trusted Sources: If you trust a primary care doctor, inquire about their referral list for pain management doctors. It’s also an excellent idea to ask about doctors from family and friends as they can provide their own experiences with those doctors.
- Consider Their Gender: Being comfortable with your doctor is important, and the gender of your pain management doctor can factor into that decision, especially if your chronic pain condition is gender-related, such as endometriosis and osteoporosis.
- Read Patient Reviews: Reading about what others say online about the doctor and their practice can be valuable for measuring their office environment, staff friendliness, medical care resources, and other capabilities.
- Learn Their Communication Style: Your doctor’s communication style can affect \how you receive your care, and when you first meet with your pain management doctor, ask questions and see how they respond. Can they understand what you’re talking about? Do they acknowledge what you say? Are they interested in getting to know you as a patient? This can greatly affect your decision.
- Ask About Telehealth: Telehealth options have become a new standard, especially for chronic pain doctors. Learning about their telehealth capabilities, such as email, video calls, and other virtual visits, can help them expand their care for you and give you the convenience you need most.
Schedule an Appointment With Pain Management Services Today!
At Pain Management Services, Dr. Calvin Cajigal, MD, provides his patients with the most up-to-date treatments for chronic pain management in Ballwin, MO. Patients can find long-term solutions for their chronic pain through his compassion, including non-surgical and alternative treatments. For more information about our services, contact Pain Management Services by calling (314) 821-8644.
