“When should I see a pain specialist?” is a common question with many confusing answers.
Pain is considered a normal part of day-to-day life: a tension headache due to an extra shift at work, a skinned knee when you accidentally hit against a desk, or a minor cut while preparing your veggies can all lead to pain.
The truth is, most people suffer from at least one type of pain during their lives, which may make it extremely challenging to know whether or not it warrants medical attention. In many cases, the pain is stemming from temporary sources that tend to clear up on their own, but sometimes, things can take a turn towards chronicity.
So how do you when to start making searches like “pain management near me” and “best pain management doctors in Arizona”
Keep reading to find out.
Acute Vs. Chronic Pain? What the Arizona Pain Doctors Say
To be able to answer “when should I see a pain specialist,” it is crucial you develop an understanding of the two types of pain: acute and chronic.
Acute pain is the everyday pain that signals you that you’ve been hurt. For example, when you accidentally hurt your thumb with a hammer, or hold onto a very hot plate and burn your finger, that’s acute pain you suffer from. This type of pain occurs suddenly and usually doesn’t last too long.
But chronic pain is different. It’s when the pain turns into disease and continues to hurt even after the expected time of recovery. It can last for days, months, and even years.
When Should I See a Pain Specialist: The 5 Common Signs
Before you start searching for the best pain management doctors in Arizona, make sure that you have at least one of the following reasons to visit a pain medicine doctor.
You’re Struggling To Perform Daily
In most cases, your pain will naturally decrease over time. However, if you feel like it’s not resolving on its own, you may consider making an appointment with any one of the Arizona pain doctors of your liking.
It’s not uncommon for an injury to disturb your daily movement temporarily, but when this debilitation becomes chronic, it’s a signal that you must start looking for the best pain management near me.
You are Unable to Sleep at Night
Chronic pain can be of varying degrees the severity of which may differ based on individual perspective. However, as a general rule of thumb, any type of pain that keeps you up at night is severe.
So if you are confused about “when should I see a pain specialist,” ask yourself: does my pain keep me up at night? Does it keep waking me up every hour or so?
If yes, it’s time you start making your own list of the best Arizona pain doctors now!
Your Pain Just Wouldn’t Go Away
If it has been three months and your pain is not going away, despite visiting your general practitioner every other week and trying every painkiller out there, it might be a good time to take the matter to a higher level and get yourself a pain medicine doctor. These doctors are specially trained to get to the bottom of complex pain problems and provide a broad treatment approach that your GP might not be able to offer.
You Want to Quit Painkillers or Go Drug-free
While painkillers might be able to help manage chronic pain, they often come with extremely unpleasant side effects that can become intolerable pretty soon. For all such people who have been filling up their medicine cabinet with all kinds of high-potency painkillers for years and finally wish to go drug-free, it is a good enough reason to start your search for pain management near me.
When the Pain is in Control but the Issue Still Persists
In many instances, your family doctor prescribes certain painkillers that help reduce your pain, but do not fully resolve it. That is when you have a decision to make: continue living with this manageable degree of pain or do something to eliminate it once and for all.
If you belong to the latter group, the answer to “when should I see a pain specialist?” is now.
Best Pain Management Near Me: Beginning Your Journey
Chronic pain can be a nightmare for anyone: it interferes with sleep, it hinders day-to-day movement, it forces patients to stock up on dangerous painkillers, and it reduces the quality of life. So if you consider yourself a victim of such type of pain and often wonder ‘when should I see a pain specialist for it?” the best time is now!
