How Do I Talk with My Doctor About My Chronic Pain Symptoms?

When you talk with your health care providers, it's important to describe the pain you're experiencing as completely and clearly as possible. Knowing what questions you want to ask your doctors and other health care providers ahead of time can help you get the most out of your visits. Use our online tools to clearly communicate your symptoms and treatment history:

• Map Your Pain: Create a map of your body that describes where you have pain, what kind of pain you feel, and the severity and frequency of your pain.
• Pain Journal: Use this journal to track your pain levels, making notes of what you were doing that seemed to make your pain better or worse.

What Should I Ask My Doctor About Treatment Options?

During your scheduled appointment, talk with your doctor about your condition, the treatment options available to you, and the pros and cons of each. If your doctor is not familiar with the range of treatments for chronic pain, ask for a referral to a pain management specialist. Or, find a specialist in your area who is familiar with Medtronic Pain Therapies.

The following list of questions will help guide your discussion so you can make the decision that is right for you.

Considerations

• What treatments are used to manage chronic pain? What options haven’t I tried?
• Is spinal cord stimulation or drug delivery therapy a possible treatment for me?
• What are possible treatment goals for me?

Expectations

• What results have you seen with spinal cord stimulation or drug delivery therapy? What should I expect?

Daily Living

• Will spinal cord stimulation or drug delivery therapy improve my comfort or ability to perform activities of daily living?
• How might the therapy affect work, travel, recreation, sexual activity, and exercise?

Learning More

• How much does this therapy cost? Is spinal cord stimulation or drug delivery therapy covered by my insurance?

Next: Map Your Pain