What is a Spine Doctor?
What Is A Spine Doctor?
It may seem obvious by the name, but many people do not know what a spine doctor is or know what they do to help those who suffer. Spine doctors are medical experts who have specialized in the diagnosing and treatment of those who suffer from severe pain. Although physicians have always attempted to relieve their patients’ pain, the specialty of pain medicine is relatively new. Over the past few decades, an exponential amount of research has been conducted on the mechanisms of pain and effective treatment options including medications, interventional procedures, and alternative treatment. This work has mainly been led by anesthesiologists, who developed a new subspecialty in 1992 recognized by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which accredits all post-medical doctorate training programs within the United States. This subspecialty was initially referred to as pain management; the name was later changed to pain medicine. Today, spine doctors are the experts at treating all types of chronic pain conditions.
Advanced training is available for physicians to become Board Certified in Pain Medicine. This advanced training is called a Pain Fellowship, which is done after a residency is completed.
A spine doctor’s training is rigorous and extensive. After excelling at university and earning a bachelor degree, a physician must complete another four years of medical school. As a doctor, they must work four more years in a residency program mastering either: anesthesiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), neurology, or less commonly psychiatry. Finally, a spine doctor must complete an intense, one year fellowship training to be granted certification in pain medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). By this point, many spine doctors have published research focused in pain management. Their education does not stop after fellowship. Pain medicine specialists must continue their medical training by studying scientific journals, attending conferences, and some choose to conduct research.
There are several different kinds of physicians who specialize in pain medicine, but most originate from one of a broader specialty which includes:
- Anesthesiologists: Doctors who specialize in Anesthesia are specialist at assisting safe surgery and labor. This is the most common type of pain specialist. Throughout their training they have specialized training in performing various nerve blocks, administering pain medications, and in performing epidural injections which are similar to those used to treat chronic pain conditions.
- Physiatrists: Doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) are experts at dealing with rehabilitation for those who suffer from injuries, stroke, and neurological conditions. They also address the prevention of disease.
- Neurologists: Doctors who diagnose and treat diseases of the nervous system.
- Neurosurgeons: Doctors who perform surgery on the nervous system.
- Psychiatrist: Doctors that specialize in treating psychiatric conditions.
Spine doctors often work in pain clinics and/or hospitals. When a patient presents with pain on their own or as a referral from another physician, a spine doctor will attempt to first diagnose what is causing the pain. If available, they will review the patient’s medical record, previous imaging studies (MRIs, x-rays, CT scans), and previous pain related tests (EMG, NCV). Next, a detailed interview and physical examination will provide important information for the spine doctor. Lastly, they may request additional imaging, diagnostic tests, and diagnostic injections to assist in making a diagnosis. Considering the individual patient, and possibly in collaboration with other physicians, the spine doctor will make recommendations for the best treatment option or, in some cases, options. The best spine doctors will be competent in the latest, cutting-edge treatment modalities as well as time tested treatments for various spine conditions. As true in all of medicine, the risks versus benefits must be weighed for each specific treatment. In addition to medical treatment, a comprehensive spine clinic offers alternative options such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, and psychiatric/behavioral therapy.
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