Going to a pain clinic can be an exciting part of your journey towards a pain-free life. But what can you expect during your pain therapy appointment?
During your first pain management session, your pain management specialist will try to learn as much as possible about your health and your chief complaint. They will try to understand your pain and pinpoint its source to find the best ways to treat it. Some tests might also be ordered to better understand your condition and customize your pain plan.
At PainTherapy Medical Care in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Sardar tries to start with the least invasive therapeutic option possible. We try our best to start therapy as early as possible – sometimes as of your first appointment. During your following sessions, Dr. Sardar will assess your response and adjust your plan accordingly until you reach your therapy goals.
Keep reading to learn more about how pain therapy sessions usually go, and what you can expect during your appointment.
What Does A Pain Specialist Do?
Pain management specialists are physicians who can accurately evaluate your pain and efficiently treat different types of acute and chronic pain.
They offer a mix of progressive pain management techniques and physical and occupational therapies as an alternative to surgery and pain medications that have undesirable side effects.
Pain specialists undergo advanced training that focuses on pain treatment and allows them to:
- Diagnose the exact source of your pain and the underlying conditions that cause it
- Design an individualized and evidence-based pain therapy plan
- Perform a wide range of nonsurgical pain treatments along with complementary pain therapy
- Coordinate your treatment between different healthcare professionals
- Provide ongoing care for any physical or psychological concerns you may have
Types of pain treated by a pain specialist
Pain management experts can precisely and effectively treat pain from a variety of disorders, including:
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Overuse injuries
- Sports injuries
- Neurological disorders
- Inflammatory diseases including arthritis
- Pain from cancerous diseases
- Post-surgical pain
At our Brooklyn pain clinic, Dr. Henry Sardar offers the latest pain management technologies to patients struggling with ongoing pain.
He has access to state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment equipment that allows him to effectively target the source of your pain.
What To Expect When You Visit A Pain Specialist?
When you first arrive at our pain care facility, you’ll have a consultation with Dr. Henry Sardar.
Dr. Sardar is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with a fellowship in pain management. He has extensive training and several certifications in acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, and addiction medicine.
Pain therapy sessions usually go like this:
Medical history
During your first pain management appointment, Dr. Sardar will take a thorough history to identify:
- When did the pain start? How long has the pain been affecting you?
- Is the pain making it harder for you to work, sleep, eat, exercise, etc?
- How would you characterize your pain? Is it dull, aching, burning, or stabbing?
- Where is the pain located? Does it radiate to another part of your body?
- Did you suffer from a trauma or injury before the pain started?
- Did you receive any pain treatment, physical therapy, or pain medications for your condition before your visit?
- Have you received any imaging tests to localize the source of your pain?
- Do you have any health concerns or medical issues that can make it risky for you to get surgery?
Using this comprehensive evaluation of your health, Dr. Sardar can accurately identify any pre-existing conditions or health issues that may be causing or contributing to your pain.
Dr. Sardar will also make time for any questions you want to be answered. Clear communication from both the patient’s and doctor’s sides is key to providing the best pain management possible.
Physical examination
You can expect a focused physical examination during your first pain therapy session. A comprehensive pain physical examination is one of the most significant pain diagnostic tools.
During your pain specialist appointment, Dr. Sardar will perform clinically proven tests to get a better idea about your pain, including:
- A neuromusculoskeletal evaluation that starts with a general observation of your condition and a mental status evaluation
- A joint examination that involves moving your legs and arms, bending your elbows, and raising your shoulders
- Strength, sensation, and reflex testing as warranted
- Range of motion evaluation
This will give Dr. Sardar insight into how the pain is affecting your physical abilities and normal functions and identify any potential pain triggers.
Further medical testing
At our pain management clinic, you can expect to receive a series of tests that will help us establish an accurate diagnosis for your pain. According to your symptoms, the following tests may be performed:
- An X-ray: This basic imaging test can help rule out any fractures or joint damage that might be causing your pain.
- An MRI: This is a more complicated imaging test that can give a better image quality and help more accurately localize the source of your pain.
- Ultrasounds: These are readily available and might be performed during your first pain therapy session. Ultrasound imaging is also used to precisely guide injections into painful areas.
- Blood tests: These tests are performed to assess systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases that might require combination therapy to treat your pain.
The additional medical tests will aid our team in better customizing your treatment plan according to the results.
Choosing a treatment plan
Dr. Sardar, pain management doctor, will custom tailor a specific treatment plan for you based on the gathered information relevant to your painful condition.
Your pain treatment will usually start with non-invasive conservative pain therapy options. After that, you might progress to more invasive, yet extremely safe, treatments. The drafted treatment plan will help you achieve effective pain relief and healing while avoiding spinal surgery and steroid injections. You may start with your treatment during your first appointment at our pain clinic. After your first session is done, you can schedule the second session in your treatment plan where your response to treatment will be re-assessed.
Our pain management specialists in New York will assess the effectiveness of your first pain treatment session and decide whether your treatment plan needs to be readjusted or whether you might need combination therapy. Our pain management team does its best to make sure you start with your pain therapy from the first session. That way, you can walk out of our clinic with at least less pain than what you walked in with.
What Are The Treatments Offered By a Pain Specialist?
Dr. Sardar may propose conservative pain therapy or more progressive techniques to reduce pain, encourage tissue healing, and restore motor function.
Traditional pain management methods include:
- Physical and occupational therapies: These are rehabilitative therapies that help you recover mobility, achieve the highest level of functionality, and improve the quality of your life.
- Fluoroscopically guided injections: This minimally invasive technique usually involves epidural corticosteroid injections or facet joint injections.
- Ultrasound-guided injections: This is one of the latest therapeutic techniques for managing persistent pain, injuries, and joint disorders.
Our pain clinic also offers advanced pain management therapies that can deliver pain relief directly to the target area, including:
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy: This innovative pain therapy uses the plasma of your blood to stimulate tissue regeneration, speed up your natural healing process, and reduce pain.
- Perineural injection therapy (PIT): This is an advanced regenerative treatment used to relieve neuropathic pain.
- Laser therapy: This non-invasive technique can treat chronic pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, and more using non-thermal light photons.
- Shock-wave therapy: This emerging type of pain therapy can be used for individuals with tendon pain.
- Cryotherapy: Freezing temperatures are applied to specific pain areas to reduce swelling and inflammation.
- Electromagnetic transduction therapy (EMTT): This new form of drug-free pain therapy releases high-frequency energy that can improve your natural healing process and ease your pain.
- Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) Therapy: TECAR uses radiofrequency to generate heat energy and relieve pain or stiffness from overworked injuries, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Moreover, our pain management experts will teach you about your pain and offer complementary pain therapy, such as:
- Aqua therapy (pool therapy): The water provides support that can reduce pain and discomfort while you’re performing range-of-motion and physical exercises.
- Acupuncture therapy: This ancient Chinese medicine practice can be used to relieve a range of long-standing pain conditions from lower back pain to nerve pain.
- Massage therapy: Therapeutic massage is a safe and effective option for the management of muscle, tendon, and joint pain.
- Kinesiology tape therapy: Kinesio taping is widely used for joint pain. The stretching of the tape can widen the space in the joint and reduce pain and irritation.
Dr. Sardar will determine the duration of your session based on the treatment modality used, the severity of your pain, and your response to therapy.
Visit Dr. Henry Sardar at PainTherapy Medical Care in Brooklyn, to benefit from our wide range of tried-and-tested pain management therapies and start your journey towards a pain free life.
Pain Management Clinic Appointment – Further Readings
Pain medicine as a career – PMC
Evidence-based pain medicine for primary care physicians – PMC
Care of People with Pain – Relieving Pain in America – NCBI Bookshelf
