Spine doctor - How to choose

Choosing a spine doctor should be a thorough, planned effort. When you have pain that is debilitating and your general practitioner or internal medicine physician can no longer address it, its time to find a specialist. The best kind of doctor will be one that has been referred to you, either by your primary care physician, a friend or family member. But because health insurance plans do not always let you chose the physician you were recommended, you may need to choose from a list. Below are some criteria for how to choose a spine doctor.

Board Certification

For a physician to be board certified in a particular specialty, he or she must undergo an approved education program and evaluation that assesses the medical knowledge, judgment, professionalism and clinical and communication skills required to perform well in that specialty. The physician will continue to go through the process throughout his career to ensure that he can continue to provide quality medical care. While there are board certifications for both family medicine and internal medicine, the higher level of board certification for a spine doctor, especially if he performs surgery, would be the board of orthopaedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurological surgery, thoracic surgery or surgery. This certification will assure you that the physician is up-to-date on the latest treatments and technologies in back pain.

As an added benefit, the spine doctor you choose will have completed a fellowship in spine care. This additional year of experience gives the doctor an edge over other physicians, and shows commitment to the practice.

Experience and Information Sharing

Your spine doctor should be willing to share with you his experience in surgeries and treatment of the spine. The North American Spine Society recommends that you choose a physician with over 50% of his or her cases related to working with the spine. It’s a good idea to come prepared for your first meeting with the physician. You should be ready to share information about how long you’ve suffered with a condition, the level of pain, when pain occurs and if treatments have offered relief in the past. Once you have met with the physician you may ask questions such as:

- What are my alte
atives to treatment? - What are the risks of a procedure? - How is a treatment performed? - What are the complications and success rates? - Will I need future treatments? - How long is recovery? - Can I get a second opinion?

Your Comfort Level

As with any medical professional with whom you are sharing intimate details about your current health, it’s very important to be comfortable with him or her. Your spine doctor does want to help you overcome pain, but if you receive a negative impression on the first visit, you may want to consider contacting another physician.

When gathering details about how to choose a spine doctor, you may ask questions of the office staff or even go online and research him or her. Board certification, experience and your peace of mind in choosing a spine doctor are of utmost importance for an excellent outcome to your back pain.