Does your doctor have time to listen?

By Patricia Delzell, M.D., Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine Consultants, Inc.

Being in chronic pain is emotionally exhausting. Effective pain management requires addressing not only the physical aspects of pain, but the emotional ones, too.

This means doctor and patient must spend time together which, in traditional medicine, is difficult. Today’s physicians often run from exam room to exam room with little time to address the emotional needs of patients.

At Advanced MMC, we understand the importance of addressing our patients’ full spectrum of needs and have built extra time into our system to make that happen. Relieving anxiety and stress is often an essential component of pain relief, so I talk directly with patients—one on one—about the stressors in their lives. These include the pain itself, yes, but also other issues like work, money, relationships, Covid, and even the darkness of winter.

Many patients first walk in emotionally exhausted from being in chronic pain, dealing with family issues, taking medications, and running from appointment to appointment with lots of doctors. We help you work through the issues that may be contributing to the perpetuation of your pain and try to help you prioritize and simplify your day-to-day life. The result is often dramatically reduced stress and pain sensations.

Your initial consult with me will not be 10 minutes, but about 2-3 hours, often broken-up into two sessions. Follow-up appointments are typically 45 minutes to an hour. Initially, we will review your records and discuss your life and your personal goals for seeing me. This is followed by an additional in-office visit where we will review those goals, perform an ultrasound, and discuss a potential treatment plan. The ultrasound will reveal your soft tissues in motion to help determine the true physiological sources of your pain, which helps direct the treatments to bring you the relief you deserve.

Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine Consultants’s new offices are at 8401 Chagrin Rd., Suite 20A, in Chagrin Falls. To schedule a complimentary Chronic Pain Phone Consultation, call 440-557-5011. Visit AdvancedMMC.com for more information, including blogs and videos.