If you want to play an active role on your road to recovery, it’s important to voice this with your practitioner and to find someone whose approach is centered around you within the context of your life when developing your treatment plan. Being an active participant in your pain management can be empowering and leads to longer lasting benefits, fewer visits to your practitioner’s office, and greater confidence in your ability to overcome some of the challenges that can come with living with pain. Here are 5 Questions to ask your practitioner regarding your pain. 𝟭.𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻? Understanding how pain works in the body and what is causing it, or at least contributing to it can help us to make sense of how to move forward and manage it. Keep in mind that pain is complex, and that the answer to this question should consider biological/physical components, as well as psychosocial and lifestyle factors. 𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? Understanding what steps can be taken in daily life to manage pain can have the biggest impact, especially under the guidance of a supportive and knowledgeable practitioner. 𝟯. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲? Understanding what approaches a practitioner uses can be helpful to set realistic expectations and whether they will be including active strategies, what types of modalities they use. 𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲? A multidisciplinary approach is most effective when practitioners are working together where different scopes of practice may complement each other. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? Several resources are available, including videos, workbooks, apps, support groups, blogs, and guided exercise programs available that can complement or become part of your treatment plan. We place a lot of trust in healthcare providers, who are there to support you and help you to feel better. Just don’t forget that 𝘆𝗼𝘂 know more about your body and your lived experience than anybody else. Good communication can go a long way in developing the most appropriate care plan for you!