BACK AND NECK PAIN: GETTING HELP

While back and neck pain can be a chronic, sometimes debilitating, condition, a variety of treatments is available to help alleviate the pain. The important thing is to find a health care provider who understands pain management. Shop around and get multiple consultations, if needed, until you are completely satisfied that the health care provider or facility can help you manage your back and neck pain. Here are some questions to ask your physician:

· How many cases of back and neck pain have you treated?

· What are your special qualifications to treat patients with back and neck pain?

· What is your approach to back and neck pain management in terms of medications, injections and complementary therapies?

· What types of medications do you generally prescribe?

· What types of non-medication therapies do you use?

· Where do you refer patients who need additional treatment?

· Is your clinic listed with any professional societies? (You can check this out yourself by visiting the professional groups listed below.)

· Do you have seven-days-a-week, 24-hour coverage if I need help?

Once you are in treatment, other questions are likely to occur. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions about neck and back pain for answers to questions you may have about your condition or treatment options.

Here are some places and people that can help manage back and neck pain:

· Comprehensive Pain Center. Such centers provide multi-modality (several different types of treatment), interdisciplinary treatment. Make sure that the center has expertise in treating patients with back and neck pain.

· Pain Medicine Physician. Pain medicine has become a medical specialty in recent years. Pain medicine physicians specialize in treating many different pain conditions and are expert in knowing how and when to use the many different treatments available. Depending on background and interest, many treat back and neck pain. However, inquire about their experience and interest in treating back and neck pain and whether they incorporate a variety of therapeutic (multi-modality) approaches.

· Neurologist/Neurological Surgeon. If you experience numbness or weakness, seek help from a qualified pain medicine physician, neurologist, neurological surgeon or spine surgeon.