What to Expect at a Pain Clinic Appointment

A pain clinic is a place that treats people with chronic pain. Usually, your family doctor will have to refer you to a pain clinic. There will be tests done so the pain clinic doctor will know what kind of pain you are experiencing and how to treat it. These tests will usually include an MRI or a magnetic resonance imaging test. This is a test to see what is causing your pain, but there are a few things a new patient should know before going to a pain clinic for treatment.

Arriving

• A new patient should arrive at a pain clinic appointment at least a half hour to an hour early. Some pain clinic doctor’s double book so patients might have a long wait depending on the clinic they go to. Usually, the first person who gets there and signs in is the first person called in to see the doctor.

Paperwork

• There will be paperwork a new patient will have to fill out. The questions involved on the paperwork consists of insurance information, what the patient is to be treated for, name, date of birth, and any listing medications the patient is taking.

Seeing the Doctor

• When the patient gets called back to see the doctor a nurse will ask some questions before the patient gets to see the doctor. He or she will go over paperwork and ask questions based on the responses provided. The nurse will also ask what level the patient’s pain is, at the present. The nurse will give the answers for the doctor to review.

Prescriptions or Shots

• The doctor will then decide if the patient’s pain should be treated with pain killers or pain shots. If he gives the patient pain killers, the patient will have the option of choosing a pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. If the doctor orders shots he may give the patient one or two pain shots immediately to ease the pain. The patient should have someone with him to to drive him home in case the doctor administers shots.

Follow Up

• After the appointment is over the patient may be able to make a follow up appointment with the doctor. Typically, the next appointment will be in about two weeks to one month.