Is Your Pain Acute or Chronic? Is Your Skin Condition Not Improving? When to see a professional besides massage therapy and esthetics services?
When to see a Doctor or Pain Specialist
Whenever pain lasts longer than reasonably expected, it’s crucial to treat it to keep it from worsening into chronic pain, he says. For example, a small bruise or burn normally wouldn’t cause pain after a month; if it does, call your doctor rather than waiting for three months.
People with disorders that cause chronic pain should also talk to their doctors about treatments that provide relief or help them to cope with pain. Treatments include massage, PT, chiropractic, pain relievers, TENS Unit, medications, acupuncture, biofeedback, relaxation training, hypnosis, distraction techniques, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.Most patients with pain don’t need to see a pain specialist. But if pain lasts much longer than expected, alternative medicine, your primary care doctor or other specialist hasn’t been able to treat your chronic pain satisfactorily, ask whether a referral to a pain specialist would help.TraumaIf you’ve had a serious trauma — such as a fall from a height or a car accident — or if you’ve had a relatively minor trauma and you’re over 50, your doctor will want to take a serious look at your back pain. Even falling down a few steps when you’re older can cause a fracture.Your doctor will probably take an X-ray to look for fractures. If no fractures are found, you may manage your pain with medication and later your recovery with physical therapy, massage and other.Numbness or TinglingYou might think that you can stop numbness or prickly tingling with over-the-counter medication, but this is usually an indication of nerve irritation or damage and is clinically more significant than your typical pain.What is Retinol? Anti aging and acne, and more all in one!
When to see a dermatologist
If you have acne that does not heal despite over counter and professional medications, see a dermatologist. Redness, itching, pain, rashes and pus are all signs you need to see a dermatologist. This doctor specializes in treating skin, hair and nails. Some treatments improve the look of your skin. Regular checkups for skin cancer can save your life. A mole or patch of skin that’s changed—If a mole or patch of your skin has changed in color, size, shape, or symptom you better see a dermatologist.Stubborn acne—You’ve tried over-the-counter products, fad diets, and cleanses, but your acne is still front and center. There is no shame is seeing a dermatologist to help you deal with this skin condition. Get some recommendations on how to put your best face forward. Itchy hives or rashes that won’t go away—Are you having an allergic reaction? Do you have an infection in your skin? See a dermatologist and get some answers. They may prescribe medications or recommend another form of treatment to smooth things over.Persistent skin irritation—You have itchy, red, flaky skin and over-the-counter creams and lotions just aren’t working. You may think that the cause of your dry skin is the weather, sensitivity to skincare products, or even genetics. But in reality, you could have a chronic skin condition.
