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“How do I find a pain clinic near me?” You’ve probably wondered that if you have fibromyalgia. The condition causes chronic pain and fatigue. And the pain can be severe enough, and constant enough, that having fibromyalgia can seriously impact your quality of life. Many people who suffer from fibromyalgia fall into a deep depression because they’re no longer able to do the basic things that others take for granted and the constant pain seems like it will never end.
But any chronic pain condition like fibromyalgia requires specialized treatment. Managing a chronic pain condition is frequently a lifelong struggle. So it makes sense that you want to get the best help you can. And visiting a pain clinic, where doctors specialize in treating chronic pain is a good place to start. So, why should you think about visiting a pain clinic? How can you find a good pain clinic in your area? And what can they do to help you with your fibromyalgia?
Why Should I Visit A Pain Clinic?
Most people begin their treatment journey by visiting their family doctor, who is usually a general practitioner. Every general practitioner gets a great deal of training in medical school and the following period of residency, so they’re usually knowledgeable about medicine in general. But the field of medicine is so large and complex, that no doctor could possibly become an expert in all fields.
Because treatment options and techniques change so frequently, many doctors choose to specialize in one field so that they can put the time and effort into keeping up to date in that field and become an expert in it. So doctors that specialize in chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia can often offer better treatment than a general practitioner.
That’s why visiting a clinic where you can find a team of doctors who specialize in treating chronic pain conditions is often a good idea when it comes to treating your fibromyalgia.
How Do I Find A Pain Clinic Near Me?
It’s often hard to know where to start looking when you want to find a good pain clinic. But your family doctor can be a good resource. Many can refer you to other doctors who specialize in the field of treating chronic pain. And you can generally trust a recommendation from your doctor as they take the professional obligation of referring their patients to other doctors very seriously.
In addition, you can ask friends or family, especially if they suffer from chronic pain. They can give you a personal recommendation based on their own experience of good pain clinics.
Finally, you can turn to the internet. Many pain clinics have reviews that you can check to make sure you’re getting the best doctor. And if you’re in the US, the federal government maintains a valuable resource for finding physicians on their website. Their “physician compare” resource lets you enter your location and lists doctors who specialize in many fields in your area, including chronic pain. And they even tell you whether or not they accept Medicaid.
But there is something else you should consider when finding a pain clinic. You see, many fraudulent clinics have sprung up in recent years, where unscrupulous doctors prescribe unnecessary treatments so that they can bill Medicaid. And many function as something called “pill mills,” where the clinic prescribes opioid medications with little oversight to cater to people who are addicted to opioids.
Always be careful when selecting a pain clinic, and make sure that you only visit established doctors who actually care about your treatment.
How Do They Treat Fibromyalgia?
Pain clinics can offer all the same treatments as any doctor for fibromyalgia. They can prescribe SSRIs, which are one of the most common forms of treatment. These drugs work by increasing the levels of serotonin in your blood and help treat fibromyalgia pain. And while there are many issues with prescribing opioid-based painkillers, a lot of patients depend on them to manage their chronic pain. And pain clinics can prescribe these medications as well.
But many pain clinics also focus on alternative treatments for chronic pain like physical therapy and massage or acupuncture. And there is a lot of evidence that many of these treatments are quite effective for fibromyalgia.
So, what do you think? Is visiting a pain clinic a good idea for managing fibromyalgia? How did you find one in your area? Did it find it helped you manage your chronic pain? Let us know in the comments.
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