Pain management doctors in Illinois

Who regulates care in Illinois

• Physician licenses: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)
• Work injuries: Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission
• Medicaid program: Illinois Medicaid (HFS)

What a pain management doctor does

Pain management physicians diagnose where long-lasting pain comes from and treat it with targeted injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, medication management and, for some patients, implanted devices. They usually work alongside your primary doctor, surgeon and physical therapist. Most patients see one after pain has lasted more than a few weeks.

Choosing a pain doctor in Chicago

• Check the license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Physicians can also be looked up on DocInfo.org.
• Ask whether the doctor is board certified in pain medicine (through anesthesiology, PM&R or neurology).
• Ask which procedures are done in the office and which at a surgery center, and who reads your imaging.
• Bring a list of medicines, prior imaging (MRI, X-ray) and the dates your pain started or changed.