There’s no direct answer to the question, “What is a pain management doctor called?” For those with health conditions that cause chronic pain, finding the right pain specialist often feels like navigating a maze in an era where so many physicians call themselves “pain management doctors.”
It’s impossible to overstate how important it is to know what qualifies a physician as a pain management specialist when it comes to providing effective treatments for often misdiagnosed conditions like spinal leaks. The term “pain management doctor” encompasses various healthcare professionals with different levels of training, so let’s break down what it really means.
A pain management specialist or doctor is usually a physician who has been trained to diagnose and treat various conditions, such as post-surgical and chronic pain. However, the term isn’t regulated, so any physician can declare themselves a pain management doctor.
That’s why you see professionals from various medical specialties calling themselves pain management specialists, from anesthesiologists with specific training in pain medicine to primary care physicians undergoing a career change.
The most qualified pain management doctors are physicians with extensive training specific to the patient’s health complaint. For instance, a physiatrist might be more appropriate for chronic musculoskeletal pain that can be addressed through physical therapy, rehabilitation exercises, bracing, and assistive devices rather than interventional approaches.
For pain caused by spinal CSF leaks, we can narrow this down further to regional anesthesiologists with years of experience providing epidural blood patches who later pursue additional pain management fellowships, mini-fellowships, or other training in image guidance for procedures.
These physicians are typically board-certified by organizations like the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). Their training gives them the expertise needed to handle complex health conditions that cause chronic pain.
Many doctors who deem themselves pain management specialists may have never pursued intense education in pain conditions and proper treatment methods before making the transition to pain management. These healthcare providers may not have the required training to perform advanced procedures like administering epidural blood patches safely with image guidance or a thorough understanding of pain physiology.
The end result is sometimes physicians who offer pain management options such as music therapy or ultraviolet therapy as the focus within their clinic instead of recognizing that certain conditions that can produce pain are complex and must have the root cause addressed, such as for spinal CSF leaks where pain management is not enough to reverse the accompany secondary conditions such as autonomic dysfunction from descent of the hindbrain.
Anesthesiologists with subspecialty training in regional anesthesiology and acute pain management who undergo further training in chronic spinal leak care and image guidance for epidural blood patch interventions are generally better suited to treat patients with chronic pain from conditions like spinal leaks.
[Read more: How Anesthesiologists Can Help Bridge the Gap in the Trillion Dollar Spinal Leak Care Market]
Here’s a quick guide for some of the titles commonly used by pain management specialists:
Knowing the distinction between the different types of physicians who specialize in pain management is vital for patients seeking spinal leak care.
Patients with chronic conditions like spinal leaks need care from physicians who understand the two-part healing mechanism of epidural blood patches, which includes the tamponade effect and the epidural plug theory.
Many providers who lack specialized training or experience treating spinal leaks focus on the immediate relief offered by the tamponade effect, which is only temporary.
Regional anesthesiologists with advanced training in interventional pain medicine and image guidance for procedures are often the ideal choice for patients dealing with chronic pain. Their training gives them the expertise needed to perform procedures like image-guided epidural blood patches and provide comprehensive long-term care to patients.
Proper training in pain management, particularly interventional techniques, equips doctors with the skills they need to provide comprehensive patient care.
For example, anesthesiologists with a residency in anesthesiology, a fellowship in regional anesthesiology and acute pain management, and relevant board certifications are the best-equipped physicians to run private pain management clinics.
However, they still need a fellowship or mini-fellowship in pain management/pain medicine on image guidance procedures to improve safety and observe the blood flow of patients while performing procedures like epidural blood patches to reduce the risk of accidental dural punctures – a common complication when patients aren’t positioned correctly and when epidural blood patches are administered incorrectly.
Training also familiarizes these physicians with the latest diagnostic tools like the Bern Score, which is essential to accurately—and safely—diagnose intracranial hypovolemia instead of relying on riskier outdated methods like lumbar punctures.
Not all pain management doctors are created equal in the world of spinal leak care. While many physicians market themselves as pain management specialists, finding one with the right qualifications can make a massive difference for patients dealing with conditions like spinal leaks that require risky treatments that demand a high level of precision.