Patients may encounter many different providers and treatment environments as they deal with pain. Pain may be managed in outpatient settings, during hospital admissions or in emergency rooms. Not all providers are comfortable with managing pain, especially if the source of the pain is a unique or complex situation. For many patients, their primary care providers are the first people to offer pain treatment recommendations. Some patients may be referred on to other specialists such as pain management providers, palliative care provider or specialists who perform interventions if the pain:

• Does not respond as expected to initial treatments
• Requires a procedure or surgery
• Is chronic
• Gets worse over time
• Is being managed with opioids