19 Apr 4 More Tips for a Rock-Solid Relationship with Your Pain Doctor
Very recently we published post discussing four tips for maintaining a solid relationship with your pain doctor. We were intending a second post right from the start, but the original post got so much attention that we couldn’t wait to post the follow-up.
As a refresher, the first four tips were as follows:
- Utilize technology as much as possible
- Prepare for your visits
- Be cognizant of your doctor’s time
- Bring a family member or friend.
If you haven’t read that first post yet, go ahead and do it now. Otherwise, let us get into the second installment. Here are four more tips for a rock-solid relationship with your pain doctor:
1. Be Open and Honest
During every visit, your pain doctor is expecting you to be honest and open. A frank discussion of your concerns, symptoms, etc. is necessary for your doctor to understand how you are feeling. If you are not open and honest, your doctor will have a harder time understanding what is going on.
Remember that knowledge is power. The more information you give your doctor, the greater their ability to help you. Withholding information only hinders your care. In some cases, it could even be harmful.
2. Communicate as Much as Possible
Being open and honest is just the starting place for frank discussions with your doctor. Add to it a willingness to communicate as much as possible. There is no need to withhold information based on the assumption that your doctor would not want to know it. If that is the case, you will know soon enough. Otherwise, feel free to discuss everything pertaining to your health and care.
Even the most seemingly insignificant piece of information could be a game-changer. So, tell your doctor everything you can remember about how you have been feeling since your last visit. Writing things down between visits can help in this regard.
3. Understand and Follow Your Care Plan
Pain medicine is somewhat unique in that doctors and patients do not always communicate on the same level. That is because, while doctors have a clinical understanding of pain, they are not personally experiencing what their patients are feeling.
This is why it is so important that you understand your care plan. If there is something you don’t understand, ask about it. It could be that you just need a different explanation. On the other hand, it could be that your doctor has misunderstood where you are at.
It is also important that you follow your care plan. Your doctor sincerely wants to help you live a happy life with minimal pain. In order for that to happen, you need to participate by following your doctor’s recommendations. Sticking to your care plan not only helps you feel better, but it also gives your doctor a guideline for modifying future recommendations.
4. Follow All Office Procedures
Finally, offices have certain procedures in place meant to enhance the experience for everyone. You can help by following all those procedures. This is especially important now while COVID protocols are still in place.
Following office procedures demonstrates to your doctor and the staff that you respect them. That goes a long way toward building strong and mutually beneficial relationships.
We hope these two posts have helped you gain a better understanding of how you can contribute to a rock-solid relationship with your pain doctor. If you are experiencing any type of chronic or acute pain that other treatments have not helped relieve, we encourage you to make an appointment with Lone Star Pain Medicine.
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