The Importance of a Consultation for Your Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects millions of Americans, but fortunately, there are therapies that can help. The first step toward finding relief is to schedule a consultation. Here’s why that initial visit is so important to your wellness and well-being.

More than 50 million Americans report dealing with pain on a daily or near-daily basis, including knee pain, back pain, and hip pain that interferes with daily activities and personal routines. Chronic pain can have devastating effects on your physical health and your emotional health, too, even taking a toll on your ability to hold down a job or maintain healthy relationships.

At Metro Spine PC, our team is dedicated to finding solutions to chronic pain for patients in Oxon Hill and Clinton, Maryland. Even though every pain management plan is different, they all begin the same way: with a personal chronic pain consultation.

Quick facts about chronic pain

One reason why chronic pain is so prevalent is because so many issues can cause or contribute to it. Chronic pain can happened for lots of reasons, including:

Age-related degenerative conditions, like arthritis or degenerative disc disease
Traumatic injuries, like car accidents
Sports-related accidents
Lifestyle issues
Underlying medical issues, like complex regional pain syndrome or obesity

Sometimes, multiple issues can be to blame, making management even more difficult without professional pain management.

Obviously, chronic pain causes a host of physical symptoms. But dealing with chronic pain can also have an emotional impact, increasing your risks of anxiety and depression, too.

Unfortunately, these emotional impacts can worsen your pain, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break without a doctor’s help.

The good news is, today there are more options than ever when it comes to managing chronic pain and relieving symptoms. Our team offers an array of therapeutic options, including:

Offering multiple options enables our team to customize a pain management plan that’s effective for your unique needs, symptoms, and lifestyle.

Why a chronic pain consultation is so important

Chronic pain happens in different ways, at varying levels of intensity, with symptoms that can vary from one person to another. Personal factors like your health history, your lifestyle, and even your job can all play a role — so can personal habits like diet and sleep.

Your pain management consultation is a time to discuss not only your symptoms and the impact they have on your life, but also your past health history and other factors that could be playing a role in your pain, your symptoms, and how you’re seeking relief. The consultation lays the groundwork for your custom pain management plan, so you can experience faster, more meaningful relief of your symptoms.

What to expect during your consultation

At your first visit, you’ll be asked to fill out a personal health history providing details about current or past medical issues, past hospitalizations or traumatic injuries, and any medications or supplements you take. We’ll ask about the physical demands placed on your body at work, at home, and during social activities or sports.

We’ll also ask about your symptoms, including their intensity, where they occur, when they occur, and if they’re triggered or worsened by specific activities. We’ll also ask about previous treatments you’ve had in an attempt to manage your pain.

Then, our team conducts a physical exam, focusing on your pain sites. We may order additional tests, like blood work, X-rays, or other diagnostic imaging tests. We’ll also do a pain assessment and determine if other specific tests are needed, like nerve conduction studies.

At the conclusion of your consultation and testing, we’ll recommend a comprehensive plan to help you manage your symptoms and improve your overall health and wellness. Your plan will include regular checkups to ensure your therapies stay focused on your evolving needs. And of course, we’ll offer lifestyle guidance and other suggestions that can help, too.

Find a solution for your chronic pain symptoms

Thanks to remarkable advances in treatment, you don’t have to suffer with chronic pain. To schedule your own personal chronic pain consultation, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Metro Spine PC today.