How to Get a Referral for a Pain Management Doctor

Many pain management centers require a referral from a physician before accepting you as a patient. Before you can receive a referral for a pain management doctor, there are a few simple steps you should be aware of. Living with pain isn't easy, and while general practitioners can offer a variety of methods for dealing with chronic pain, in many cases a doctor who specializes in pain management is able to outline the best course of treatment to effectively treat your pain.

Suggestions

1. Before seeking a referral to a pain management doctor, explore other options. Over the counter pain medications and prescription pain medications can both be very effective in managing pain. Your primary care doctor will be able to prescribe pain medication. Other effective treatments for managing pain include massage therapy, exercise, hypnosis, heat and cold packs, relaxation techniques, meditation, and acupuncture. Try some of these techniques, or a combination of them, before getting a referral for a pain management doctor.
2. If the treatment methods you've tried don't help your pain, make an appointment with your primary care physician. Many pain management centers won't accept you as a patient if you don't have a primary care physician.
3. Discuss your pain issues with your physician during your appointment. Outline the various methods and treatment options you've tried that your physician may not be aware of. Also, articulate the severity of the pain and how it effects your overall functioning.
    
4. Ask your physician about the possibility of seeing a pain management doctor. Your physician may know of other treatment options that could help alleviate your pain without seeing a specialist. If your physician has no other alternative treatment options, she should offer to refer you to a pain management doctor. If she doesn't, it is acceptable to ask for a referral.
5. Once your physician has agreed to give you a referral to a pain management doctor, ask her to send a letter to the pain management clinic that briefly explains your situation and treatment options you have tried.
6. Check with your insurance provider to be sure the pain management doctor your physician is referring you to is covered by your health insurance. If not, ask your physician if there are any other pain management doctors in your area she could refer you to.
7. Fill out all necessary forms before visiting the pain management doctor. These forms can usually be found on the pain management center's website, or they will be provided to you when you are contacted by the center to set up an appointment. These forms often include patient referral forms that need to be filled out by your primary care physician.

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How to Get a Doctor Referral for a Medical Massage

Massage is increasingly becoming a popular treatment for soft-tissue injuries. It has been used for centuries, but only in recent years is it once again being accepted as a legitimate medical resource and not a codename for illicit activity. Still, getting a doctor's referral for massage therapy can be challenging. Most doctors tend to rely on their own drug-based training and view bodywork as a luxury. Still, some doctors are beginning to accept that there is more to healing than popping a pill or giving a shot.

Suggestions

1. Use a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) doctor. Some doctors have come to understand that complementary medicine practices such as massage offer benefits to their patients. Often these doctors will work closely with a massage therapist, even hiring or contracting massage therapists in his or her own office.
2. See a chiropractor. Massage therapists often work closely with chiropractors, offering soft-tissue therapy to complement the chiropractor's work on the bony parts of the body. Most chiropractors will either have a massage therapist in the office or offer some sort of limited massage therapy services themselves.
3. Use hospitals which offer massage to patients. Increasingly, hospitals are offering massage therapy to patients as part of the regular treatment regimen. This is especially true in labor and delivery wards, where expectant mothers can benefit from a massage during labor. Benefits of medical massage in hospitals include reduced need for massage, lower blood pressure and quicker discharge.
4. Seek out Integrative Medicine practices. These are offices where acupuncture, massage therapy and holistic medicine are practiced alongside the more common allopathic (or drug-based) medicine. Here, each of the healing arts are represented and combined to find the most effective treatment plan for each individual patient.
5. Convince your family doctor to consider massage. This may be the most difficult route, as typically doctors overlook massage as simply a luxury and prefer to rely on their own allopathic methods. To be successful, you will want to work with a massage therapist to gather evidence demonstrating the efficacy of massage as a treatment for your condition. You will need a treatment plan along with consultations between the massage therapist and your doctor. Justify the expense to your insurance company, which more than likely will not cover massage without a doctor's referral.

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