pain management doctors develop a treatment plan to relieve, reduce, or manage pain and assist patients in quickly returning to regular exercise without the need for surgery or heavy reliance on drugs. The doctor arranges care through an interdisciplinary group of health experts to ensure that all of the patient’s needs are met.

Physiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in conditions of the outer muscles and have significant authority over medication and recovery. Some physiatrists have advanced in their preparation for interventional pain management (IPM). IPM is a branch of medicine that focuses on identifying and treating pain-related complications. Pain management doctors and specialists are frequently interventional physiatrists who can diagnose and treat spinal problems. 

Pain management doctors are generally concerned with their patients’ overall personal satisfaction. Keeping this in mind, they treat the entire patient rather than just one part of the body. Before treating the patient’s pain, the doctor must first determine the source of the pain. In some cases of pain, the cause is obvious, such as a spinal crack. It can be difficult to determine the cause(s) of chronic pain. The doctor is guided by the patient’s clinical history, physical examination, and neurological evaluation. Extra indicative apparatuses aid in either assisting or discouraging a presumed determination. 

The doctor and patient should discuss the patient’s current problem as well as his or her medical history. The doctor may inquire about when and how the pain began, a description of the pain, exercises that increase or decrease the pain, and current or previous treatments. An actual assessment evaluates the patient’s vital bodily functions, such as heart rate, breath rate, heart rate, circulatory strain, and so on. A neurological test evaluates the patient’s tangible (feel) and engines (work) capacities, such as reflexes, balance, walking ability, muscle strength, and muscle tone.

Pain management is an essential component of care for people suffering from neck and back pain. Doctors who treat pain are concerned about their patients’ ability to work and their personal satisfaction. When the pain becomes unbearable or is complicated by other ailments, the doctor may refer the patient to a pain management doctor,  such as a physiatrist.