Each person's tolerance to pain is different and many factors can make pain worse or lessen it. Chronic pain develops from disease or injury, taking a physical and emotional toll on the sufferer. Untreated or improperly treated chronic pain can interfere with personal relationships and the ability to work. Several types of specialists commonly treat chronic pain.
Neurologist
Neurologists and neurosurgeons treat patients with chronic pain. Pain messages are transmitted via nerves and these specialists can often alter the pain messages, reducing the pain felt by the patient. They can use medication, biofeedback, behavior modification, brain stimulation, acupuncture, psychotherapy or electrical impulses to treat chronic pain, according to the American Academy of Neurology.
Orthopedist
Orthopedists and orthopedic surgeons treat chronic pain from bone-related problems. Lower back pain is a common source of chronic pain and disability and orthopedists sometimes treat this and other types of pain with spinal injections. When surgery isn't required, the physician might choose to give either facet joint, sacroiliac joint or epidural injections. Facet joint injections treat problems along the spine from the neck to the lower back and those that radiate from the back to the hips, thighs and shoulders by delivering an anesthetic into the joint. Sacroiliac injections, delivered to the pelvic area, typically contain steroid medication that treat pain in the hip, lower back or thigh. Epidural injections are often used to treat pinched nerves, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. These injections often contain an anti-inflammatory medication combined with an anesthetic. Orthopedists and orthopedic surgeons also treat pain with medication, while orthopedic surgeons frequently perform operations to relieve pain and restore function.
Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologists might choose to treat chronic pain patients. These specialists provide pain medication and, in many cases, can block pain by giving injections near nerves, into muscles or into the joints of bones. An anesthesiologist who specializes in pain management might prescribe or perform acupuncture. He can treat patients with electrical stimulation to the painful area or refer patients to physical therapy, surgery or counseling, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
