Know Your Medical Team
As you explore treatment options to relieve your chronic pain, your medical team could include some or all of the following healthcare professionals:
Primary care doctor
If you see a primary care doctor for annual visits and screenings, he or she is probably the first person you'd tell about your chronic pain. And when treatment with over the counter medications don't work, your primary care doctor can refer you to specialists to help determine how to best relieve your pain.
Pain management specialist
Your pain specialist's primary concern is your quality of life. Working with other members of your medical team, your pain specialist will coordinate your care, including diagnosing the causes of your chronic pain and determining treatment options.
Physical or occupational therapist
A physical or occupational therapist may work with you to make daily activities less painful, such as walking, driving, doing dishes and working. In addition, if surgery is part of your treatment plan, you will probably need help from a physical or occupational therapist to resume every day tasks.
Surgeon
Depending on the treatment options you consider, you may have a surgeon on your medical team. Aside from performing the surgery, from corrective surgery to implanting a Medtronic Pain Therapy, your surgeon will consult with you and your medical team on the risks and benefits of surgical options for your particular situation.
Clinical nurse specialists
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) has advanced training in a specific medical area, such as chronic pain management. Depending on the other specialists on your medical team, you may have one or more CNS's whose goal is to help you get the best results based on what they've learned from other patients.
