Persistent back, neck, joint, or nerve pain can affect sleep, mobility, work, exercise, and daily activities. When pain continues or limits function, identifying its source is an important first step.
Anita K. Rao, M.D., is a board-certified anesthesiologist and fellowship-trained pain management specialist at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute (LBJI), with more than 20 years of experience treating acute and chronic pain. Effective
Dr. Rao provides individualized, nonsurgical care based on each patient’s symptoms, examination, previous results, and relevant imaging or diagnostic studies. Treatment may include physical therapy, activity modification, short-term medication management, targeted injections, or other appropriate interventions.
Not every pain management consultation leads to a procedure. The goal is to identify the likely cause of pain and recommend the right next step.
Is It Time to See a Pain Management Specialist?
A pain management consultation may be helpful when:
- Pain isn’t improving despite initial treatment.
- Everyday activities are becoming difficult, including work, exercise, sleep, or walking.
- Pain travels into an arm or leg or is accompanied by numbness or tingling.
- Pain is limiting physical therapy or making it difficult to progress.
- Conservative treatments haven’t provided enough relief.
- The cause of the pain, or the next step, is unclear.
An evaluation may lead to continued or modified conservative care, additional testing, a targeted intervention, or referral to an orthopedic or spine specialist when appropriate.
Finding the Source and Choosing the Right Treatment
Pain location does not always reveal its source. For example, neck pain that travels into an arm may involve an irritated spinal nerve, while low back pain may arise from a disc, joint, nerve, or another structure.
Dr. Rao reviews the patient’s history, examination, prior treatment response, and appropriate diagnostic studies to identify the likely source of pain and develop an individualized treatment plan.
When a procedure is considered, it should serve a specific purpose. An epidural steroid injection may help certain types of nerve-related pain, while radiofrequency ablation may be appropriate for pain arising from specific joints.
Dr. Rao focuses on whether a procedure is appropriate for the individual patient—not simply whether it can be performed.
As symptoms and functional needs change, the treatment plan can evolve as well.
When Pain Management and Surgery Intersect
Pain management and surgery may play different roles in a patient’s care. Nonsurgical treatment can reduce symptoms, improve function, and help patients participate more fully in physical therapy. In other cases, symptoms or structural findings may warrant a surgical evaluation.
As part of Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute, Dr. Rao works closely with orthopedic and spine specialists and can help patients transition to the appropriate level of care when needed.
Getting Back to What Matters
Effective pain treatment is about more than reducing pain. Progress may mean sleeping better, walking farther, completing a workday, participating in therapy, exercising, or returning to valued activities.
Dr. Rao considers these functional goals when evaluating treatment and measuring progress. Her goal is to help patients move and function more comfortably through thoughtful, individualized care.
Learn more about Dr. Anita Rao or schedule an appointment with the Pain Management Team at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute.