Pain management doctors in Pennsylvania

Who regulates care in Pennsylvania

• Physician licenses: Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine
• Work injuries: Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation
• Medicaid program: Pennsylvania Medical Assistance

What a pain management doctor does

Pain management physicians diagnose where long-lasting pain comes from and treat it with targeted injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, medication management and, for some patients, implanted devices. They usually work alongside your primary doctor, surgeon and physical therapist. Most patients see one after pain has lasted more than a few weeks.

Choosing a pain doctor in Philadelphia

• Check the license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. Physicians can also be looked up on DocInfo.org.
• Ask whether the doctor is board certified in pain medicine (through anesthesiology, PM&R or neurology).
• Ask which procedures are done in the office and which at a surgery center, and who reads your imaging.
• Bring a list of medicines, prior imaging (MRI, X-ray) and the dates your pain started or changed.