What Happens When You Visit A Tampa Pain Management Clinic

By Marissa Velazquez


When someone suffers from ongoing pains that a general practitioner cannot manage very well, a different solution is required. Most people with this problem will visit a Tampa pain management clinic in order to see a doctor who specializes in this field. The clinics available to a patient living in this area will be specified by the person's general doctor, and a reference letter will be written. The patient can then make an appointment.

Visiting a medical facility where you have not been before can be a nerve wracking experience. It is therefore helpful to know what you can expect when you arrive, and the types of treatments that are applied there. It is recommended to get there a little earlier than your time of appointment (about half an hour to an hour earlier). This is because sometimes there is more than one patient booked for a specific time, and the first to arrive will be seen first.

The hospital will need information from you, and you will therefore have to complete some papers. This is usually only necessary the first time you go. The papers will require details of your medical insurance and your personal information (date of birth, place of residence, name etc.). You may also have to list things like the medicines you are currently taking.

Your new physician will need to know everything about your medical health, and it is therefore important that you show him any information gathered from previous doctor visits. Put previous x-rays or scan results into an envelope so that the hospital can keep them if necessary. At your initial consultation, you will receive various assessments by nurses and doctors.

It can be frustrating sometimes when you are asked a lot of questions, but remember that your answers can help the doctors to work out the best way to help you. Answer all of the nurse's or doctor's questions as honestly as you can. Before you see the doctor, a nurse may come to take your blood pressure, record your temperature, etc.

The nurse will ask questions about the painfulness of your condition. She might ask that you indicate on a drawing of a body where your pain is located, and will ask if you are also suffering from additional problems, such as fatigue or nausea. Once all this information has been obtained, you will be ready for your consultation with the doctor.

Your doctor will then decide how to help you. He may suggest some medications which are usually of the anti-inflammatory, antidepressant or anti-seizure variety, or he may recommend that you follow some specific exercise routines, either at home or at the hospital. Furthermore, pain-blocking injections may be prescribed, which can provide relief for a decent length of time.

Sometimes medicines or injections are not enough to combat the problem, and surgery is suggested. Infusion pumps and spinal cord stimulators are often inserted during these types of surgeries, and are very helpful to control ongoing pains. If you are someone suffering on a daily basis and are in need of some relief, try visiting a Tampa pain management clinic.




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