With a population of 23,200 people and a median age of 33.8, a significant portion of Greenbelt, Maryland residents may experience spinal pain from time to time. Back pain starts to emerge between the age of 30 to 40. When you do start to experience back pain, you should visit a spine and pain center Greenbelt MD, at the earliest. In this article, learn what you should look for in such a center to select the right one.
The Certifications of Pain Management Doctors
You’ll visit a pain clinic to treat your back pain. But at the clinic, especially at a multi-specialty pain practice clinic, you’re going to find physicians with a different designation. Those are occupational therapist (OT), physical therapist (PT), physicianassistants (PA-C), nurse practitioner (NP), chiropractors (DC), and licensed acupuncturists (LA). Some clinics will also employ psychologists to treat conditions like anxiety and depression.
Before visiting a pain management clinic, you should look at the qualifications of the physician working there that you are going to see for your treatment. You can get this information from the clinic’s website. They should have board certifications from organizations like the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, etc. Along with that, they should have relevant working experience so they can diagnose you properly.
The Expertise of the Clinic
There are different types of pain such as acute pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain. And the procedure to treat them requires a different approach.
When selecting a pain clinic, ensure that the clinic specializes in the type of pain you’re suffering from. There will be multi-specialty clinics that specialize in treating multiple pain types.
The Pain Programs in Place
Treating the pain is a continuous process that can take several months. So you’d have to undergo a pain management program to see results.
The programs may include weekly steroid injections, opioid medications, and physiotherapy exercises.
Physiotherapy also takes place outdoors. Physicians may instruct you to go for beach running, swimming, paddling, or hiking. Greenbelt Park, which is a unit of the National Park System, would be an ideal place to be.
Located in the southernmost portion of Greenbelt, it has a 5.3 mile of equestrian trail, ideal for hiking and running. The nearestbeach from Greenbelt is 19.21 miles away in Montgomery. It’s an inland beach, and it’s ideal for a weekend trip.
Inquire how long the program will last and the success rate. Not to mention the total cost and whether or not your insurance policy covers it.
You can compare these numbers against those of other clinics and select the best program for yourself.
Online Reputation
Another way to select the right spine and pain center is to check their online reputation. People who have got treatment from those clinics may leave reviews on various platforms, the most notable of which is Google reviews. You can look at the overall rating and read through the reviews.
Top clinics usually have a better online reputation than those below them. This might not be the perfect way to select a pain center, but it’s helpful in some ways.
Referrals are a great way to find the right clinic to visit. And referrals are trustworthy as well. Your friends, family, and colleagues will only refer a pain clinic to you if they have a positive experience working with that spine and pain center in Greenbelt, MD. By working with the right clinic, you can alleviate the pain you’re suffering from.
