By no means am I defending doctors. I like all of us had to deal with poor doctors before I was fortunate to find the good ones. Many of you have yet to find the "good" doctors.
The real chronic pain doctors have the following board certifications or the servces are offered in their clinics. The certifications are as follows: Psychiatry, Neurology and Anesthesiology. They are under close supervision by the DEA. The DEA has to monitor the good doctors and the pill factory doctors. The good doctors are completely on guard for fake pain for the painkiller medication. Loritab 10 3 times daily or 90 a months. Ninety a month has a huge street value.
In my Chronic Pain Clinic, after completion, only a few of us were asked to continue with nerve blocks. The rest of the patients were no longer asked to return. The thing is I would have selected the same people as not in true chronic pain.
It is so unfortunate that you are guilty until innocent, but I now understand why we are treated this way.
Ask the doctor what can I do? Before asking the question let the doctor know how you feel and what medications you have tried unsuccessfully. If the doctor wants a MRI, ask for a standup/setdown MRI. Once the doctor has the results, discuss alternative strategies and the things not to do.
Ask for a strategy for the chronic pain and for a strategy for the acute cycle or break through pain. The trained eyes of the doctor can over time look at you and know your pain. Granted, this all sound very involved and time consuming but it is better than things are now.
I usually put my best happy smile, but all they need is to look at my eyes to see the pain. It is my nature to put on a game face. Thankfully, my doctors know it is a game face. I hope this helps you to understand a little about how doctors see us. Tommy R.