Tips for Getting More from your Pain Doctor Visits
People who suffer from chronic pain and regularly visit pain doctors count on those visits for relief and release. Many people do not realize, though, that they may be making mistakes that reduce the effectiveness of their treatments or make it harder for the doctor to do his or her job. Here are a few tips for getting more out of all of your pain doctor visits.
First, it is important to be as accurate as possible when describing your pain. If you see your doctor infrequently, it is smart to keep a record of your pain. You can write down where the pain occurred, how it felt, how long it lasted, and what you were doing at the time. When describing pain, you should describe severity — rating it on a scale is a good way to do this — and whether the pain was an ache, a sharp pain, or something else.
It is also helpful to remember that communication between you and your doctor should be two-way during all pain doctor visits. Finding a doctor that you are comfortable talking to is the key to developing good communication. If your doctor’s responses ever seem limited, unclear, or otherwise unhelpful, do not be afraid to ask questions. Make sure to ask about a future treatment plan as well as measures that you can take on your own in your daily life.
Finally, do not be afraid to be honest. If a medication or physical treatment is not working, many patients are reluctant to admit it initially. Other patients may play down the pain that they feel because they are used to dealing with physical stresses or because they do not want to be looked down on. It is critical to remember that your doctor will never hold a failed treatment or an admittance of severe pain against you. Be as accurate as you can during every visit.
These changes are easy to make, but they truly can make a difference. No matter how qualified your pain doctor is, he or she is largely dependent on your honesty and attention to detail. By focusing on providing honest and descriptive answers, you can help your doctor treat your pain much more effectively.
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