Pain management doctors in California

Who regulates care in California

• Physician licenses: Medical Board of California
• Work injuries: California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
• Medicaid program: Medi-Cal

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 Bakersfield

• Check the license with the Medical Board of California. 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.
• In California, prescribers check the CURES database before prescribing controlled pain medicines, so tell the doctor about every prescription you take.