Pain Management Service FAQs

Your doctor will refer you to us if he or she believes you could benefit from one of our pain management procedures. Your referring doctor’s office will need to send us the following information about you:

• Current medications
• Medical history
• Results from recent lab and imaging studies

Once we receive this information, you can schedule an appointment by calling us at 617-243-6142. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. If you call after during a weekend or holiday or after 4 p.m. on a weekday, we’ll follow up with you on the next business day.

You must have an insurance referral in place before your visit. Most health insurance plans cover our pain management services, but you should check with your insurer for any financial responsibility you may have.

During your first consultation with a doctor or nurse practitioner, we’ll review your health history and the results of lab and imaging studies provided by your referring doctor. We’ll discuss your treatment options with you, as well as any family members you would like to include. We’ll also discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your care. On the day of your procedure, a nurse will gather your vital information, as well as information about your pain. It’s important to have an accurate list of the medications you currently take, especially blood thinners (anticoagulants). After getting consent from you, your doctor will perform your pain management procedure. You will need to stay with us for at least 15 to 20 minutes afterward, and longer for some procedures. Please refer to the individual procedures, for more information about what to expect.

Most people can drive themselves home after a pain management procedure, but certain procedures and the medications you receive during them will require you to have a ride home. Please ask our staff members when you schedule your appointment.

For your children’s safety, we ask you to not bring children to your appointment. Young children may be scared of the hospital environment, and our staff can’t be responsible for their care during your procedure.

You should plan about 90 minutes for a steroid injection and longer for other procedures. Be sure to include extra time for traffic and parking.

You likely will feel some temporary discomfort or pain during your procedure. We will make every effort to make you as comfortable as possible during your visit.

We perform our procedures under local anesthesia, so you will be awake. We will give you a small amount of anesthetic at your injection site during your procedure. Most pain management procedures last only a few minutes.

Most people notice an improvement within three to seven days after their treatment. However, the speed of your pain relief can depend on many factors, such as:

• How long you’ve experienced pain
• The amount of pain you feel on the day of treatment
• The cause of your pain

For your safety, it’s important to tell your doctor if you feel sick on the day of your procedure. You should also tell the doctor or nurse if you are taking any antibiotics or blood thinners. You should let your doctor or nurse know if you think you could be pregnant. We would need to postpone your procedure, as X-ray exposure is dangerous for unborn babies.

Learn more about pain procedures