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On average, patients who use Zocdoc can search for a Pain Management Specialist in Fort Lauderdale, book an appointment, and see the Pain Management Specialist within 24 hours. Same-day appointments are often available, you can search for real-time availability of Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale who accept your insurance and make an appointment online.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for a Fort Lauderdale Pain Management Specialist who takes your insurance. Just choose your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. If you’re not sure which plan you have, you can use Zocdoc’s insurance checker to find out.
Zocdoc is a free online service that helps patients find Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale and book appointments instantly. You can search for Fort Lauderdale Pain Management Specialists by symptom or visit reason. Then, choose your insurance plan. Based on that information, you’ll see a list of providers who meet your search criteria, along with their available appointment slots.
When you search for Fort Lauderdale Pain Management Specialists on Zocdoc, you can filter your results by gender, in addition to other criteria. That way, you’ll only see Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale who match your preferences.
On Zocdoc, you can search specifically for Fort Lauderdale Pain Management Specialists with availability after 5 p.m.
You can use Zocdoc to find Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale who are highly rated by other patients. These ratings are based on verified reviews submitted by real patients. Every time a patient completes an appointment booked on Zocdoc, they’re invited to review their experience. Each review must comply with Zocdoc’s guidelines.
Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale on Zocdoc who see patients through online video visits will have a purple video icon on their profiles. You can also filter your search results to show only Pain Management Specialists who offer video visits.
Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same cost as in-person visits. You can search on Zocdoc specifically for Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale who accept your insurance for video visits by selecting your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for a Pain Management Specialist who has appointments available before 10:00 am, or after 5:00 pm. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page.
Zocdoc let's you see real-time availability for Pain Management Specialists in Fort Lauderdale. Many Pain Management Specialists offer appointments on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pain management specialists are medical physicians with advanced training in reducing, relieving, or helping manage chronic pain. Chronic pain often persists for more than three months and requires special treatment. Hence, pain management experts collaborate with numerous specialists to reduce dependence on painkillers and teach techniques for performing daily tasks with minimal discomfort.
One must visit a specialist if the pain has been consistent for longer than three weeks and is restricting regular activities like — exercising, sleeping, or unwinding. Additionally, if the pain persists after trying over-the-counter medications or other pain relief remedies, visiting the expert may help get a proper diagnosis.
To become a pain management specialist, one must obtain a 4-year undergraduate degree and complete four years of medical school. While there are no residency programs for pain management, aspirants can pursue a medical residency program in a related discipline, such as anesthesiology or physical medicine and rehabilitation.
After completing their residency, aspirants must finish a 1-year fellowship in pain management. Finally, they must pass a board certification exam in pain management to start practicing. This exam can be administered either by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or the American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. After obtaining board certification, pain management specialists can pursue further education in sports medicine, traumatic injuries, and other related fields.
A long-term sickness, such as cancer or arthritis, can be the most frequent cause of chronic pain. Several injuries, such as whiplash, a broken bone, or a sprain, can also result in chronic pain even after the wound has healed. Patients with Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, and shingles may also suffer from this pain after a successful recovery.
Some people with no signs of illness or trauma may also complain about chronic pain, commonly referred to as — psychosomatic or psychogenic pain. Anxiety, stress, and sadness are the causes of this pain, with no outward physical symptoms.
Long-lasting pain patients may experience sensations such as shooting, hurting, stinging, burning, throbbing, squeezing, or stiffness. Additionally, they may complain of chronic anxiety, fatigue, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. Hence, to treat such conditions, specialists may utilize various diagnostic techniques to identify the pain and treatment methods.
A pain scale is a tool that specialists utilize to evaluate the intensity of pain experienced by patients. Physicians can gauge the pain type, intensity, and duration among patients of all age groups. Furthermore, it assists doctors in diagnosing the condition, creating a treatment plan, and measuring the effectiveness of the treatment.
Pain scales are of two types — unidimensional and multidimensional. Unidimensional pain scales measure pain levels using numbers, images, words, or descriptions. Some common ones are numeric rating scales (NRS), visual analog scales (VAS), and categorical scales.
Numeric rating scales use numbers ranging from 0 to 5 or 0 to 10, wherein 0 stands for 'no pain' and 5 or 10 stands for 'maximum pain.' Visual analog scales employ a 10-cm line with stops at each end to evaluate the patient's pain intensity. The leftmost point indicates 'no pain,' and the rightmost point means 'maximum pain.' Categorical scales use words or pictures to depict pain intensity, and the patients must choose the one that describes their pain.
On the other hand, multidimensional tools include an initial pain assessment tool, a brief pain inventory (BPI) that contains a series of questions, and a McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ).
An initial pain assessment tool also contains a paper diagram of the body, allowing patients to mark the location of the pain and rate the intensity on the scale provided.
Listed below are a few tests that can help with initial pain assessment:
Apart from acute and chronic pain, medical professionals classify pain into the following types:
When treating chronic pain, pain management specialists use a combination of methods that fall under one of two categories: non-interventional and interventional pain.
Interventional pain is when the skin is pierced or cut with an injection or surgery. In contrast, non-interventional methods have various combinations of non-surgical approaches. The former treatment is only adopted when the latter fails to cure the problem.
Pharmacological therapy, which includes over-the-counter and prescription medicine, is typically the first line of non-interventional treatment. Specialists employ this with other non-invasive techniques, such as acupuncture, cold and hot packs, biofeedback, chiropractic, massage, music therapy, and dietary changes. Other methods include physical and occupational therapy, yoga, and exercise specifically designed to target the cause of pain.
The idea behind interventional pain treatment approaches is to either stop pain signals from reaching the brain or administer medication right to the site of the pain. Commonly used interventional techniques include:
The exact medicine your doctor would prescribe depends on the nature and severity of your condition. A few commonly prescribed pain medications are as follows:
Although pain management professionals can assist with chronic pain, lifestyle changes are necessary to achieve long-term comfort. Dietary changes are the first step in fighting chronic pain. A nutritious diet keeps your weight in check, eases digestion, improves heart health, and controls blood sugar levels. Giving up smoking and drinking alcohol enhances blood flow and sleep. Combining these with a regular exercise regimen strengthens your muscles.
Relaxation techniques help reduce stress, which aggravates chronic pain. Some commonly recommended relaxation techniques include meditation, deep breathing, biofeedback, and massage therapy. Being part of a support group introduces you to others dealing with similar problems and helps you manage your symptoms.
Chronic pain can be physically as well as emotionally challenging. Therefore, the first practical step in treating chronic pain is choosing the right pain management professional who can suggest a personalized treatment for your specific issues.
Zocdoc's database is comprehensive and easily accessible, which helps you find the best specialists practicing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Once you visit the Zocdoc website, fill in a few details, such as your symptoms, condition, or the doctor's specialty you wish to consult. Furthermore, you can narrow down doctors based on gender, language, availability, hospital affiliations, and whether or not they treat children.
Zocdoc will then filter and present you with a list of doctors best suited for your needs. Each pain management specialist near you on the Zocdoc website has a unique doctor profile. These profiles contain detailed information about their medical training and experience, specialization, certifications, accreditations, recognitions, etc. You can also read verified reviews and ratings from other patients to make an informed choice about your healthcare.
An insurance plan is essential in chronic pain treatment as it is always long-term and requires several follow-ups. By clicking on the drop-down menu on Zocdoc or using Zocdoc's insurance detector, you can view the various types of medical insurance. Once you choose your policy, Zocdoc will tell you which pain management specialists are within your network and who will accept your insurance. Adding your insurance information to your Zocdoc account can help you find a doctor who accepts your plan. Many doctors' offices require you to bring your insurance card despite you adding your details online. So, remember to carry it to your in-person appointments. For other insurance-related queries, check Zocdoc's patient help center.
After locating the best pain management specialist near you, you can book an in-person or virtual appointment with them. All bookings on Zocdoc are fast, free, and secure!
As per a 2015 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, about 21.5% of adults were diagnosed with arthritis. Florida was one of the states in the US with the lowest prevalence rate. Among the 21.5% of adults, the prevalence rate was around 24.75% among women and nearly 18.01% among men. Approximately 38% of the adults diagnosed with arthritis complained of severe joint pain.
The city of Fort Lauderdale comes under Broward County. As per the same report, in 2015, Broward County had a 22.6% crude prevalence rate of arthritis. Based on another 2021 America's Health Rankings report, nearly 10.3% of adults reported having physical distress for more than 14 days. Similarly, about 24% of Florida adults in 2020 had arthritis. The age group 65 years and older had the highest prevalence (about 40%), followed by ages 45-64 (nearly 27.8%) and 18-44 years (around 7.4%).
The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.