It is a doctor who has trained in the assessment, diagnosis and different type of treatments for pain. Pain can be acute or chronic and caused by injury, surgery, nerve damage and a variety of other reasons. Sometimes pain itself can be an issue with no discernable cause. In general you will find that many pain management specialists are trained in anesthesiology, but the route there is long and arduous and that is not the end. Pain doctors are always continuing their education in order to keep up with the latest in medical technology in the fields of diagnosis and treatment.
The Training Required to Become a Pain Specialist
It is truly a long journey. It begins with graduating from a bachelor’s program, followed by four years of medical school. Then there are at least three years of a residency program and at least a one year fellowship in pain management. Most of these fellowships run concurrent with anesthesiology residencies. When a doctor becomes certified in their main specialty and he or she has successfully finished a fellowship, then they can try for their certification under the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Psychiatry and the American Board or Neurology, or the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. These are the only three entities recognized in the United State. As you can see your pain doctor has been through a vast amount of training and quite rigorous testing and certification.
What Questions Should You Ask?
You might want to know if the doctor has had experience with your specific condition. Does this office do procedures only or do they offer a multidisciplinary treatment approach? What might their mission statement be and their ideology on pain? A Jacksonville spine center will be more than happy to answer these and any other questions you may have.
