What Does a Pain Doctor Do?
Pain Management
A pain doctor is a medical doctor who focuses on finding and treating pain, especially pain that lasts. If you've been living with pain for months, you may have heard the term and wondered what a pain doctor actually does.
GSMC is led by Dr. Dharam Mann, who completed fellowships in pain management, cardiac anesthesia and critical care at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard.
Here's a plain-language look at interventional pain medicine and how it may help you.
The training behind a pain doctor
Most pain doctors first train in a specialty such as anesthesiology, neurology or physical medicine. Then they complete extra training, called a fellowship, just in pain medicine. Many become board certified in pain medicine after passing a national exam.
That training teaches a pain doctor to think about the whole person, including the heart, lungs and medicines, before any procedure.
What a pain doctor treats
Pain doctors treat many kinds of pain, not just back pain. Common ones include:
- Back and neck pain, including sciatica and pinched nerves
- Joint pain from arthritis in the knee, hip, shoulder or spine
- Nerve pain, such as neuropathy from diabetes, or pain after shingles
- Headaches that start in the neck
- Pain after surgery that hasn't gone away, including pain after back or neck surgery
- Pain after an injury, a work accident or a car crash
How a pain doctor treats pain
A pain doctor's first job is diagnosis. Where does the pain start? What tissue or nerve is involved? Once we know, we can choose the right tool. Those tools include:
- Physical therapy, exercise and daily changes
- Medicines, used carefully and reviewed often
- Image-guided injections, like epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation, which uses gentle heat to quiet a painful nerve
- Spinal cord stimulation, a small device that changes how pain signals reach the brain
- Joint treatments such as PRP therapy and embolization
Some of the same nerve-based tools can help with problems other than pain. For example, GSMC offers InterStim and Axonics sacral neuromodulation for some bladder and bowel control problems.
Pain doctor or primary care doctor?
Your primary care doctor is often the right first stop for new pain. A pain doctor is helpful when pain lasts more than a few months, when basic treatment hasn't worked, or when you want to explore procedures before considering surgery. We work with your primary care doctor, not in place of them, and we share updates so everyone stays on the same page.
What we tell every patient
We can't promise a cure. Many people get meaningful relief. Some get partial relief, and some don't respond as hoped. We'll explain the risks and a realistic result for every option, and you make the final call.
GSMC participates with all Aetna plans, including Aetna HMO. For other plans, our staff will check your benefits. We can't promise coverage.
Where to see a pain doctor at GSMC
All offices are open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Toms River (Hooper Ave)
1314 Hooper Ave, 1st Floor, Toms River, NJ 08753. Many patients here come after a work injury or car accident, or with years of slowly worsening pain. Rheumatology is in the same building for joint pain that may be inflammatory. Visit the Toms River office page.
Manahawkin
1109 Beacon Ave, Manahawkin, NJ 08050. Here we treat a lot of arthritis in the knees and hips, and nerve pain that flares with hard seasonal work. It's the closest GSMC office for Long Beach Island. Visit the Manahawkin office page.
Whiting
1100 NJ-70, Entrance B, Whiting, NJ 08759. Nerve pain from diabetes or shingles is common among Whiting patients. So is pain from bone loss and compression fractures. We coordinate closely with your other doctors. Visit the Whiting office page.
Freehold
322 Professional View Dr, 300 Building, 2nd Floor, Freehold, NJ 07728. Freehold patients often come with neck pain and headaches, sciatica, knee arthritis and SI joint pain. Some have lived with pain for years and want a fresh look. Visit the Freehold office page.
West Long Branch
100 NJ-36, Suite 1K, West Long Branch, NJ 07764. We see a wide range here, from young athletes with sports injuries to people with pain that continued after spine surgery. Visit the West Long Branch office page.
Brick
1608 NJ-88, Suite 102, Brick Township, NJ 08724. The GSMC team covers our Brick office. With pain management and rheumatology in one place, it's a good fit when joint pain may come from arthritis, an autoimmune condition or both. Visit the Brick office page.
Barnegat
249 S Main St, Suite 5, Barnegat Township, NJ 08005. The GSMC team covers our Barnegat office. The team sees back, neck, joint and nerve pain, as well as injuries from car accidents and work. Visit the Barnegat office page.
Book a visit
If pain has become part of your everyday life, it may be time to see a pain doctor. Request a visit online at the GSMC office nearest you. We'll listen first and plan together.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pain doctor called?
A pain doctor may be called a pain management doctor, pain specialist or interventional pain physician. Interventional pain doctors also perform image-guided procedures, such as injections and nerve ablation.
What kind of training does a pain doctor have?
Most finish medical school, a residency in a field such as anesthesiology, and a fellowship in pain medicine. Many are board certified in pain medicine.
What conditions does a pain doctor treat?
Pain doctors treat back and neck pain, sciatica, arthritis, nerve pain, headaches that start in the neck, and pain after injuries or surgery.
When should I see a pain doctor instead of my regular doctor?
Consider a pain doctor if pain lasts more than about three months, keeps coming back, or hasn't improved with basic care. Your primary care doctor can still be part of your care.
Will a pain doctor just give me pain pills?
No. Medicines can help, but a pain doctor uses many tools, including therapy, injections, nerve ablation and stimulation. The goal is to treat the cause, not just cover up the pain.