What to Expect During Your First Pain Management Visit

Your first pain management visit takes about 45–60 minutes and includes a comprehensive evaluation, imaging review, and a personalized treatment plan focused on non-opioid, interventional approaches. You won’t need to prepare anything complicated — just bring your intake forms, insurance card, medication list, and any imaging you have.

Here’s exactly what happens step by step.

Before Your Visit

A little preparation goes a long way. Before your appointment:

• Download and complete your new patient intake form — this saves time at the office and gives your provider a head start on understanding your history
• Bring your insurance card and photo ID
• Bring a list of current medications, including dosages
• Bring any imaging you’ve already had done (MRI, X-ray, CT scan) — or let us know where they were done so we can request the records
• Write down your questions — it’s easy to forget what you wanted to ask once you’re in the exam room

When You Arrive

Check in at the front desk. If you haven’t completed your paperwork ahead of time, you’ll fill it out in the waiting area. Our intake forms ask about:

• Your pain history — when it started, where it is, what makes it better or worse
• Previous treatments you’ve tried (medications, physical therapy, injections, surgeries)
• Your medical history and current medications
• Your daily activities and how pain affects your quality of life

The Evaluation

Your provider — either Dr. Michael Kissel or Tiaya Welsh, FNP-BC — will sit down with you and:

1. Listen to your story. We want to understand your pain in your words — not just what’s in the chart. When did it start? What does it feel like? What have you tried?

2. Perform a physical examination. This includes checking your range of motion, identifying tender areas, testing reflexes and sensation, and evaluating your posture and gait.

3. Review your imaging and records. If you’ve brought MRIs, X-rays, or other diagnostics, we’ll review them with you and explain what we see.

4. Discuss a diagnosis. Based on everything — your history, exam, and imaging — your provider will explain what’s causing your pain in terms you can understand.

Your Treatment Plan

This is where things get actionable. Based on your evaluation, your provider will recommend a personalized treatment plan. This might include one or more of the following:

• Epidural steroid injections for back or leg pain caused by disc herniations or spinal stenosis
• Joint injections for knee, hip, shoulder, or SI joint pain
• Nerve blocks for targeted nerve-related pain
• Iovera cold therapy for drug-free pain relief lasting up to 90 days
• Trigger point injections for muscle knots and myofascial pain
• Facet joint injections for spinal pain originating from the facet joints
• Physical therapy referrals or medication adjustments as needed

We focus on interventional, non-opioid approaches whenever possible. Our goal is to treat the source of your pain — not just mask the symptoms.

How Long Does the First Visit Take?

Plan for about 45–60 minutes for your first appointment. This gives us enough time to do a thorough evaluation without rushing. Follow-up visits are typically shorter (15–30 minutes).

Common Questions

Will I get a procedure on my first visit? Sometimes, if the diagnosis is clear and the treatment is straightforward (like a trigger point injection). More often, we’ll develop a plan on the first visit and schedule procedures for a follow-up appointment.

Do I need a referral? Not always — it depends on your insurance plan. If you’re unsure, call our office at 678-587-5993 and we’ll help you find out.

What if I’ve already tried everything? We hear this a lot. Many patients come to us after years of unsuccessful treatments. A fresh evaluation with a pain specialist can often identify options you haven’t tried — or a different approach to treatments that didn’t work before.

Will I be prescribed opioids? Our practice emphasizes non-opioid interventional treatments. We believe in addressing the source of pain through targeted procedures rather than relying on long-term medications.

You’re Taking the Right Step

Deciding to see a pain management specialist is a positive move. Chronic pain doesn’t have to be something you just “live with” — and the first visit is where the path to better days begins.

You can also explore the full range of non-opioid treatment options we offer.

Ready to schedule your first visit? Request an appointment or call 678-587-5993.