PREPARING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH A PAIN DOCTOR
13/02/2014 04:54
PREPARING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH A PAIN DOCTOR
Preparing for your appointment with a pain doctor or a pain clinic is one way to optimize your time in their office.
We are often so stressed about the appointment, that we forget to ask or address the most important things, so I am putting together a few ideas to help you prepare for that appointment. I hope it helps.
*Wear comfortable, easy to remove clothing and footwear. Depending on where your CRPS is, you may be asked to disrobe for your examination.
*Ask a friend or family member to come with you, if you think it will be helpful. This person can help listen, take notes and offer support.
*Take notes- this will help you to remember what your doctor said, and also to follow any instructions or recommendations he or she had for you (or if you have permission, bring an audio recorder)
*Schedule a follow-up appointment (if necessary) before you leave the doctor’s office
You may want to write a list that includes:
****A detailed description of your symptoms. It may even help to keep a diary of your pain and other symptoms for a few days or weeks leading up to the appointment. Record how you feel when you have each symptom, and let him or her know if they have changed, appeared more frequently, or become worse.
****Information about your medical problems, past and present. Even though you are seeing a pain specialist for your CRPS, it is always important for them to know about ALL of your medical problems, past and present. Not everything we experience is being caused by our CRPS, and if we are not open and upfront about everything that is going on, our doctor is not going to be treating us to the best of their abilities. They can only help us with the things we tell them about, and sometimes we might think things are known, but it is best to tell them, to make sure they are aware.
****Information about the medical problems of your parents or siblings. Many medical problems run in families. Telling the doctor this information can help them to include or rule out certain conditions to check for.
***All the medications and dietary supplements you take. PLEASE REMEMBER, Natural does not mean that it is not medicine.
Always tell your doctor or hospital/clinic of ALL medications and supplements you are taking. Herbs, minerals, vitamins, over the counter and prescription medications...all of it. Everything we ingest affects our bodies, many medications, whether natural or prescription, can interact with another. (You can make a list of the medications you are taking or bring in the medications in their original packaging)
QUESTIONS...
Preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your limited time with your doctor. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out.
>>>>>>>What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Discuss the symptoms separately and find out which ones they feel are related or unrelated to your CRPS. I often make reference to our main support group, and the fact that I discuss symptoms with other CRPS patients in the group. It helps, when you are describing a certain symptom, and the doctor might be unsure if it is CRPS related, to tell them what the other group members have reported as well. I sometimes say that our group is kind of like our own little research project; who better to tell us about the ins and outs of CRPS than those living with it?
>>>>>>>Are there other possible causes for my symptoms?
It is very important that we remain open to the fact that not all of our symptoms are related to our CRPS. We do not want to miss early diagnosis and/or treatment of any other medical condition that should arise.
>>>>>>>What treatment do you recommend?
Ask which treatment options they recommend for you, and how successful others with CRPS have been with those treatments. REMEMBER, CRPS is unlike ANY other chronic pain condition, so it deserves to be treated as such. Just because a treatment works for Arthritis or Fibromyalgia, does not neccesarily mean it will work for CRPS.
>>>>>>>How quickly will I start to feel better?
Although every patient is different, your doctor should be able to give you an idea of how soon you should see some results from the treatment protocol they are suggesting. Ask about your treatment. Ask your doctor how long different treatments will take and whether there are side effects (and what to do if they occur).Also, find out which treatments are covered by your health insurance.
>>>>>>>What if my symptoms don't improve?
Ask this question. It is important to know what other options you have available, and to be able to keep a positive outlook, knowing that if one treatment does not work, there are other things that your doctor is ready and willing to try.
>>>>>>>Are there any dietary restrictions that I need to follow? Foods can affect so many things in our bodies, and there are certain foods that are known to increase or aggrevate chronic pain. Depending on the treatment or medications your pain doctor is going to be using with you, there may be other dietary restrictions you need to know about. As an example, certain medications should not be taken with dairy, or citrus. Other medications can affect how our bodies absorb nutrients and minerals, so we may be asked to increase our intake or decrease our intake of certain foods.
>>>>>>>Is there a generic or over-the-counter alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
Always know your options.
>>>>>>>Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
It doesn't hurt to ask.
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions any time you don't understand something. IT'S YOUR BODY. IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW. If you ask a question, got an answer, but still do not understand, stop...ask it again, and have them explain it to you a different way.
What to expect from your doctor
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Your doctor will examine you and may ask some of the following questions:
When did your symptoms begin?
Where exactly is the pain located?
How severe is your pain? They may ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10
Is its intensity constant, or is it worse at different times of the day or night?
What movements and activities aggravate and relieve your pain?
Do you have any weakness or numbness in the area of your CRPS pain?
What treatments have you tried? What worked? What failed?
Most pain medicine specialists use a standardized drawing of the front/back of the body to enable you to mark where pain is felt, as well as indicate pain spread and type. You may be asked to complete the form each time you visit the pain doctor. The completed drawing helps to evaluate your treatment progress.
You may also be asked to complete a detailed intake questionnaire. Be as thorough as you can with this, this is your first chance to give the important information about you.
***No matter what, answer ALL of their questions. Do not hold back because of embarrassment, trust me, they have likely
heard it all before.
Written by Carrie Louise Brewer
Feb/2014