Pain management, when viewed from a medical perspective, is defined as a comprehensive approach to both controlling pain and treating its underlying cause. Among the goals are increasing physical function and improving the patient's quality of life.
The definition seems simple enough, doesn't it? In reality, the actual practice of pain management isn't always easy. The complexities of the human mind and body see to that. Yet despite how difficult pain management can be, the KindlyMD team is fully committed to treating every patient in the best way we can.
A medical perspective of pain management suggests that effectively treating a patient is a team sport. In other words, treatment is not left solely to the patient's general practitioner or a single pain management doctor. Ideally, an entire team of healthcare professionals works together to address all the aspects of a patient's pain.
What does a typical pain management team look like? It consists of:
A team approach to pain management leans into the expertise of each team member to address the complexities of pain. In so many cases, the pain experience is not just physical. It also has emotional and psychological components. Therefore, a more representative team with a broad base of knowledge and experience is preferred.
One thing we make a point of emphasizing at KindlyMD is that the patient is on the team, too. We don't view the patient as a bystander or merely a service recipient. They are an active and participating member of the team whose personal knowledge and experience really informs the decision-making process.
As a patient, you deserve to be heard. You are best served when your thoughts, emotions, and experiences are taken seriously. Ultimately, we want you to maintain control over your healthcare. That is not possible if we exclude you from the team. But no worries, excluding patients is not part of our playbook.
All of this is made possible thanks to the recognition of pain management as a medical specialty. Things were not always this way, though. Seventy-five years ago, pain management was the domain of family doctors and internists. But as Western medicine learned more about pain, it became abundantly clear that pain management needed to be its own specialty.
Pain management doctors go through the same medical school training as GPs and internists. But then they go on to receive additional training tailored to understanding as much about pain and its management as possible.
Fortunately, pain management is a specialty open to advanced practice clinicians as well. Both physician assistants and nurse practitioners can specialize in pain management, practicing side-by-side with doctors or independently (were allowed by law).
There are many perspectives on pain out there, from patients to providers and everyone in between. Your experience with and opinions on pain likely differ from someone else's in some way, shape, or form. It is normal, and it's okay.
Our perspective is one that says you are not defined by your pain. You are a person who deserves every opportunity to live your life the way you want to live it. If we can help through effective pain management strategies, that is what we want to do. We are here to help you regain function, improve your quality of life, and simply feel better day-to-day. If we can help you accomplish that, we have fulfilled our mission.
