5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Pain Management Appointment

When you connect with a team of professionals that can help you manage your chronic pain, it can feel like you’ve been given your life back. To make sure you maximize your investment in time, money, and energy, it’s a good idea to be well-prepared for your pain management appointments.

Keep reading to learn what we advise our patients to do that helps them get the most out of their visits.

1. Complete Your Paperwork

Be sure to complete your new patient paperwork online, or fill it out and bring it with you to your appointment. This helps streamline your visit and ensures your doctors and nurses have all the information they need to provide you with the best care. Requested records may include:

• A list of current medications (and dosages)
• Previous lab results and imaging studies (blood tests, X-rays, etc.)
• Updated insurance and emergency contact information

2. Have Your Questions Ready

A great pain management plan is sustainable, cost-effective, and customized to your specific goals and needs. To make sure your plan of care checks all these boxes, we need your feedback! That’s why we tell patients to write down their list of concerns ahead of time. You’ll be less likely to forget important questions, and we’ll have a better idea of how your pain is affecting your life, which helps us implement the right treatment.

3. Wear Comfortable Clothes

During a pain management appointment, we may perform physical exams, diagnostic tests that are easier to do (and more comfortable for you) if you’re dressed appropriately. Plan on wearing loose-fitting clothes and comfortable shoes.

4. Be Open-Minded

Pain management is an exciting branch of medicine that continually sees new advances in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. We ask our patients to keep an open mind about alternative techniques, such as plasma-rich platelet injections, that may turn out to be a valuable addition to customized plans of care.

5. Commit to Your Plan

Even the best pain management plan won’t work if it’s not committed to properly. There’s even a risk of adverse outcomes if doctor’s orders are not followed. So, be sure to find a team you can really trust and listen to – and if something’s not working, let them know right away.

Do You Need Help Managing Chronic Pain?

Living with chronic pain can affect you from the moment you wake up to the minute you fall asleep at night. If you need help finding relief, contact our experienced Columbus pain management team at Integrated Pain Solutions today. We are currently open and accepting new patients while implementing various COVID-safe measures to protect our staff and clients. Call 614-383-6450 now!