Pain Medicine Center

Pain Medicine Center FAQs

• Q. Do I need a physician’s referral to see a specialist at The Pain Medicine Center of St. Mary’s?
  A. No, a physician referral is not necessary. However, you will need a primary care physician before being accepted as a patient at the pain clinic.
• Q. What can I expect at my first appointment?
  A. Please arrive 45 minutes prior to your appointment time to register in Patient Registration. Your first visit to The Pain Medicine Center will include a comprehensive evaluation and targeted physical examination to determine the cause(s) of your pain. Once your specialist has completed this diagnostic process, together you will develop an individualized treatment, which may include multiple sessions for injections, medications and/or various forms of therapy.

  An injection or treatment may be appropriate during this first visit. Please do not eat for four to six hours and do not drink for two hours prior to your visit. Any anticoagulation therapy (Coumadin, Plavix) should be stopped for five days prior to your appointment, if approved by the prescribing doctor. A driver will be needed to take you home after the first appointment.

• Q. Do I need to fill out any paperwork prior to my first appointment?
  A. Yes. You will be sent information, including this questionnaire, in the mail prior to your first appointment. Please complete it and bring it to your appointment, along with all prescription medication you are currently taking, in the original prescription bottles.
• Q. Will the specialists at The Pain Medicine Center consult with other doctors for my treatment?
  A. For the most effective evaluation and treatment of your pain, you may be referred to other specialists, such as neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. These evaluations will be at the discretion of the pain medicine physician treating you. If you are referred to another specialist, your continued treatment in the Pain Medicine Center requires your compliance with these referrals.