Re: Pain docs a dying breed?

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:46:55 -0800, Codeee01@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

There are 12 pain specialists listed in the book.
Each and every one of them does injections and nothing else.

My GP having moved, it's difficult to even find one who knows
what fibro, migraines, etc are...much less are willing to treat them.

Is this trend toward injections only becoming nationwide, or as I
suspect do I reside in the armpit of hell?

codeee

After 4 years with a big-city, big-hospital PM clinic, I decided
to try a new PM doc with a small practice (with a referral from
my uro) a few weeks ago.

Had a perfect record at the old clinic, taking only moderate
doses of lo-profile opioids, etc etc. Lots of med documentation.
Straight appearance, white beard (older), nothing to raise
red flags for an honest PM doc.

So the new doc's got my MRI, CT reports of DDD, herniated disc, etc.
Two other serious sources of pain easily confirmable.
I tell him I tried an injection at the old clinic and now
consider such to be medically contra-indicated. He tells me
he'd have to run series of <this injection>, <that injection>,
etc to treat me. I requested he return my records: he refused.
Hopefully I'll get at least a copy of the records in the
next week or so. He will eventually reside in my "Derelict
Doctors" file.

So, I was kinda wondering the same thing. Are all/most of the
PM docs, or at least all the younger generation, viewing
opioid therapies as taboo (with possible exceptions for
certified terminal cancer patients, etc)?

How did you determine that the 12 pain specialists are doing
injections only?

Cheers,
Puddin'

"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!"
-Friedrich Schiller
.