Diagnosis

Chronic Pain

Many medical conditions can cause chronic pain. This kind of pain is often associated with specific symptoms, prior treatments, or existing health problems. Consequently, doctors diagnose chronic pain by carefully going over a patient's medical history and performing a physical examination. The patient may also be given questionnaires to fill out to provide more information about the pain.

Because chronic pain can be a complex medical problem, patients are often referred by their primary care doctors to specialists known as pain physicians. Pain physicians are trained to treat and rehabilitate people in pain. They are experts in diagnosing pain disorders and can provide advanced therapies for pain that most doctors cannot.