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Pain management specialists are doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating people suffering from pain.

A pain management specialist develops a treatment plan to relieve, reduce, or manage pain, and help patients return to everyday activities swiftly without surgery or a heavy reliance on medication. To make sure all the patient's needs are met, the pain management specialist coordinates care through an interdisciplinary team of health professionals, including specialist physiotherapists and psychologists.

NSW Spine Specialists may refer patients to a pain management specialist if surgical intervention is not an option, or post-operatively if the patient is experiencing pain.

What kind of treatments do pain management specialists provide?

Pain management specialists are referred patients who are suffering from acute pain (lasting less than 3 months) or chronic pain (lasting more than 3 months). Treatments include injections into the joint, numbing a painful nerve and implants to reduce chronic pain.

The future of pain management

Preventing the occurrence of chronic pain is the current focus for people working in pain management.

Research is underway to identify patients at high risk of developing chronic pain, and what methods doctors can use to intervene and prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain.

Moving forward there is expected to be a greater emphasis on:

• Patient education
• Psychology and physiotherapy (early on)
• Minimally invasive techniques such as wireless devices ( i.e. wearable watches) connected to implanted devices to reduce pain
• A safer and more effective use of pain relief from medicinal cannabis.

When to seek professional help

If persistent pain is making you feel overwhelmed and affecting your quality of life, speak to your spine surgeon or GP about your options.

You should seek urgent medical attention if you experience any of the following:

• Loss in bowel/bladder control
• Pain in the back that does not worsen with movements
• New onset of nerve symptoms – numbness or tingling in the limbs
• New onset of limb weakness
• Fever and a raised temperature
• Pain out of proportion to usual flare-ups.

When it comes to acute back pain (first episode), more than 80% of patients will fully recover within 6-8 weeks if they maintain their mobility. However, patients should monitor themselves for the above red-flag symptoms.

Research has found early management of acute pain is the key to preventing it from becoming chronic pain.