Are You Looking for More Information on Sciatica Pain Treatment in New Jersey?
June 16, 2021
Sciatica Pain Doctor Answers 5 Questions to Prepare You for Your First Pain Appointment
Chronic pain affects approximately 1.5 billion people throughout the world. Be it neck, leg, hip, or sciatica pain, the consequences are often the same: the discomfort becomes so severe that it starts affecting sleep, ability to focus, and many more aspects of everyday life.
Most frequently, patients come to visit us because they are dealing with chronic back pain. This type of pain can be triggered by a variety of factors, including normal ageing, which ends up affecting the bones and joints, injuries, herniated discs, or a pinched nerve. In other cases, back pain can appear because of poor habits, which eventually put a strain on THE SPINE. These include bad posture, lifting heavy items, sleeping in a bad position, or excessive weight.
No matter the cause of the pain, it is mandatory that you see a doctor if it becomes chronic. The thought of going to a pain clinic may be scary at first, but it is the first step to take if you want to get the best type of neck, back or sciatica pain treatment in New Jersey.
To help you prepare for your first appointment, a Harvard-trained sciatica pain specialist is here to answer a series of questions about what happens the first time a patient comes to a pain clinic.
What exactly is a pain clinic?
Put simply, a pain clinic is a medical center that specializes in diagnosing and treating various forms of acute and chronic pain. At a first glance, pain clinics are not any different from other healthcare facilities. You will see nurses, doctors, physical therapists, which are all trained in interventional pain management.
Among the primary reasons many people avoid going to a pain clinic is because people assume the only way to treat chronic pain is with surgery. While it is true that surgery may be recommended in some cases, most pain doctors will usually recommend minimally invasive procedures at first and only move to a more intrusive treatment option if these fail to succeed.
Do I need to bring any previous medical records?
When you first sit down with your doctor, you are going to start discussing the history of your symptoms. Be sure to describe all the symptoms you are having, how they evolved, as well as any form of treatment you may have tried at home.
If you have any medical records that may relate to your condition, such as X-rays from previous accidents you may have suffered or recent blood test results that may indicate a health condition that can trigger chronic pain.
Some pain specialists advise patients to keep track of their symptoms in a pain diary. This will help you observe the evolution of your condition and notice sooner if there are any changes you should mention during your next visit. Sciatica pain, for example, starts as discomfort in the lower back, but as you keep putting pressure on the sciatic nerve, the pain can also start moving to the hips and legs. If you notice this happening, make sure to inform your doctor.
What happens during the physical examination?
After the initial discussion, your back doctor will perform a physical examination to further assess your symptoms. This includes a routine checkup where the physician records your pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, as well as temperature.
Based on where the pain is located and the symptoms you are describing, your back doctor may use various medical equipment to check things such as your reflexes, posture, range of motion, and flexibility. Don’t be surprised if the doctor will also ask you to perform some light physical exercise such as squats and stretches to test your body’s pain response.
If they feel more investigation is needed, you may also be required to other diagnostic tests, including X-rays, CT scans, or bone scans.
Is one appointment enough for proper diagnosis?
Usually, the doctor will be able to determine what causes your pain from the first appointment. Even if they will need to make more investigations, they should still be able to put a probable diagnosis. They will then order more tests and ask you to come in for another examination before discussing potential treatment plans.
If the diagnosis is clear early on, you may also receive minimally invasive treatment right from your first appointment. In most cases, however, you will be asked to schedule a separate treatment appointment later on.
What if I want to learn more about my condition?
We always encourage our patients to ask as many questions as possible, especially during their first visit. Dealing with pain is never easy, nor on the body or the brain, so it is only normal to want to know as much as you can about what is happening.
No matter if you think your questions are too trivial or wrong, feel encouraged to discuss them with the specialist to get them out of your chest. In many cases, patients are more concerned than they should, so an honest talk with their doctor can be reassuring and help them move on with treatment.
Be sure to ask questions about the symptoms you are experiencing, potential causes of pain, treatment options, as well as if there are certain activities you should avoid until recovery.
Because pain can be such a difficult challenge to overcome, it is important to find a specialist you can trust. Whether you are looking for neck, shoulder, back, or sciatica treatment, the Harvard-trained doctors at Pain Treatment Specialists are ready to help. We are committed to delivering the best possible pain management options for all of our patients, so if you are looking for pain relief, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at one of our conveniently placed locations: in Paramus on Route 17, near the Paramus Park Mall, in Clifton, NJ, on Route 46 E, past the Ford dealership, and in West Orange, near the Essex Country Club, and in Woodland Park, on McBride Avenue.
Book a Consultation
Scheduling a consultation with one of our pain treatment specialists is one of the best ways to determine the proper solution for pain relief.
Meet Our Team of Back Pain Specialists
All of our Pain Doctors in New Jersey are Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Hanna is a Harvard Trained back specialist in New Jersey and New York. He serves as Medical Director of Pain Management.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, New Jersey.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, and Paramus New Jersey.
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.