Pain management

Pain management (also called pain medicine) is that branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurse practitioners. Pain usually resolves promptly once the underlying trauma or pathology has healed, and is treated... more

Pain management (also called pain medicine) is that branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurse practitioners. Pain usually resolves promptly once the underlying trauma or pathology has healed, and is treated by one practitioner, with drugs such as analgesics and (occasionally) anxiolytics. Effective management of long term pain, however, frequently requires the coordinated efforts of the management team. Pain management practitioners come from all fields of medicine. Most often, pain fellowship trained physicians are anesthesiologists, neurologists, physiatrists or psychiatrists. Palliative Care doctors are also specialists in pain management. Some practitioners have not been fellowship trained and have opted for certification by the American... less