Academic Pain & Spine Frequently Asked Questions

Pain management is a comprehensive approach to diagnosing, treating, and controlling pain. It uses a multi-pronged and individualized treatment plan to coordinate safe and effective options that can address the physical, emotional, social, and psychological aspects of pain. In a balanced approach to pain management, people with pain, along with their family members and caregivers, learn to manage it in safe, effective, responsible, and healthy ways to improve or maintain their overall well-being.

Components of a balanced pain management plan may include minimally-invasive therapy, physical therapy and rehabilitation, psychological counseling, social support, and other complementary approaches.

A balanced team of pain management doctors can help ensure that people with pain can improve their quality of life and reduce discomfort.

A pain management doctor is a board-certified, fellowship-trained physician who is able to diagnose and treat acute and chronic pain conditions using a balanced approach.

We build comprehensive, individualized care plans for each of our patients. These plans employ a variety of pain management strategies focused on the whole person -- not just the pain.

Call us today to speak with one of our pain management doctors. We look forward to working with you.

People develop pain for many reasons. Pain from recent surgery, injury, or medical illness is called acute pain. In many cases, this can be managed immediately and will usually get better in just a short time. For more serious pain, however, your primary care doctor may ask pain management doctors to help manage your discomfort while you're healing.

Back or neck pain that persists beyond six weeks may require further evaluation to accurately and quickly diagnose the cause and implement an effective treatment plan. In general, earlier evaluation of pain typically leads to greater diagnostic accuracy and faster relief.

If your pain persists after the healing process should be over, you might have what is called chronic pain. If the current treatment you are receiving stops working or your pain begins to get worse over time, your primary care doctor may suggest that you see a pain management doctor.