Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Pain
By Nancy MontgomeryCONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVEMore than 50 million men, women, and children in the United States live with chronic pain every day. Finding a health-care provider who is knowledgeable about pain -- its causes and treatments -- can help you get the treatment you need to go about your daily life with less discomfort. Remember that you are the expert on your pain, so you should be an active participant in developing a plan to manage it. Here are some questions that can help you find the right doctor. Questions to ask your doctor * Have you treated others with the type of pain I have? * Do you think I need more evaluation to determine what is causing my pain and whether there is any effective treatment? * What are the options for treating my pain? * What kind of medications work best for this type of pain? * Are there any risks associated with treatment? * Do you ever recommend alternative therapies (acupuncture, massage, hypnosis, herbal remedies), either alone or in combination with prescription medications? * What type of specialists do you work with? * Can you help me set realistic goals about the level of pain relief I can expect? * Is it likely that the pain will ever go away completely? * How will we work together to figure out a treatment plan that works best for me? * How often should I see you? * What if we disagree about what treatment is best for me? * What should I do if I have a pain crisis or emergency? Questions your doctor may want to ask you * How long have you had your pain? * What is your pain like? * What makes your pain better or worse? * Do you have any ideas about what could be causing it? * What evaluations and treatments have you tried in the past? * What treatments are you currently using? * How much pain are you in right now? (using a scale of 1-10) * How does your pain interfere with your daily social and physical activities? * Are you able to work? * Are you able to have sex? * Does it cause sleep problems? * Has your pain caused you to feel sad or anxious? * What are your personal goals regarding your pain and ability to function? * Are there evaluations and treatments you have considered but not yet tried? * Do you have a history of alcohol or substance abuse? * May I get your permission to contact your prior doctors for more information about evaluations and treatments you have had in the past? -- Nancy Montgomery is a senior editor at Consumer Health Interactive.
Further Resources American Chronic Pain Association
PO Box 850, Rocklin, CA 95677
Phone: 1-800-533-3231
http://www.theacpa.org/ American Pain Foundation
201 North Charles Street, Suite 710
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-4111
http://www.painfoundation.org
References
Finding Help for Your Pain. American Pain Foundation. http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=Publications/Index.htm
Keeping a Pain Diary. American Pain Foundation. http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?menu=1&item=2&file=documents/doc_038.htm
Pain Assessment. American Pain Foundation. http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?menu=1&item=2&file=documents/doc_036.htm
Pain Care Bill of Rights. American Pain Foundation
Reviewed by Michael Potter, MD, an attending physician and associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who is board-certified in family practice.
Our reviewers are members of Consumer Health Interactive's medical advisory board.
To learn more about our writers and editors, click here.
First published June 7, 2006
Copyright © 2006 Consumer Health Interactive
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