Your first appointment will be for the purpose of telling your story about how your problem started. You will be asked for your history or your “memory” of how and when your pain problem started and all of the details related to your pain. These details are extremely important because they help me understand more clearly what may be causing your pain and how it will best be treated. You are also encouraged to bring a friend or significant other who may be able to help you remember specific details or just give a more objective opinion as to how you’ve been feeling.
You will then receive a full examination to evaluate the pain area and also make sure that no other potential areas or problems could be causing your symptoms.
Following the exam, you and I will discuss your treatment options and the best way to reduce your pain. It is important to me that you are involved in your treatment plan and that you are comfortable with my recommendations. I believe that is very important for each patient to understand the nature of their pain problem and the rationale behind the treatment plan. I will spend additional time educating you and answering questions about your specific pain problem.
Patients are asked to bring any medical information they have with them to their first visit. This may include recent blood test results, lists of medications, radiology results (MRI, x-ray, CAT scan, Bone scan), etc. All of this information is helpful in determining the cause of the pain and the best way to treat it.
Your first visit will take approximately one hour. In general, your first appointment will not involve any treatment unless your referring physician has requested this ahead of time.
