Frequently Asked Questions
Einstein Pain Institute - Additional Resources
General FAQs
What types of doctors are in Einstein Pain Institute?
Should I drive myself to my appointment?
Can I go back to work after my visit?
Whom do I call for a prescription refill?
What if I have additional questions?
Treatment FAQs
What happens at the first appointment?
Will I be treated on the first visit?
Will my pain doctor act as my primary care physician?
Am I going to get a “cortisone shot?”
Do you write prescriptions for chronic pain medications?
Medication FAQs
Will my pain doctor act as my primary care physician?
Do you prescribe chronic pain medications?
General FAQs
Our hours are 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday thru Friday. If the office is closed, you may leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. If you have a medical emergency or an urgent problem, an anesthesiologist is available 24-hours per day at Albert Einstein Medical Center via the AEMC operator 1-215-456-7890. In general, emergencies occurring in the off hours are referred to the nearest Emergency Room.
We are located at Albert Einstein Medical Center, 5501 Old York Road, on the fourth floor of the Willowcrest Building. Directions to the Pain Institute, escorts and wheelchairs can be found at the front desk in the Willowcrest lobby.
For new patients, a referring physician MUST request a consultation/evaluation with a pain management physician. Your doctor should mail or fax all pertinent medical history, including X-ray reports, surgical reports, prior consultations, etc. You can hand carry your records as well.
A referral is required for several reasons. The most important, however, is to provide the evaluating pain management physician with all relevant history and data so that the consultation is productive and focused on the patient and his/her pain problem.
What types of doctors are in Einstein Pain Institute?
The Institute is staffed by board-certified anesthesiologists with additional board certification in pain management.
Should I drive myself to my appointment?
You will be advised of the need for someone to drive you if you are to receive an injection. Your initial visit to Einstein Pain Institute will last approximately two hours. The diagnosis and treatment process requires approximately four visits.
Many procedures performed here can cause associated numbness, weakness, and/or loss of position sense, which can make the ability to operate an automobile difficult. It is our policy that every patient who has an invasive procedure must have a ride home.
Can I go back to work after my visit?
If you receive an epidural injection, we usually recommend you take it easy and let your body be your guide. Depending on your occupation, you sometimes can return to work after the appropriate recovery time. Discuss this with your treating physician.
Whom do I call for a prescription refill?
In general you should contact the office of the physician who prescribed the medication. Please note that Opiate analgesic prescriptions are NEVER renewed over the telephone.
What if I have additional questions?
Call 1-800-EINSTEIN, to speak with one of our experienced registered nurses. In the event of an emergency, please go directly to the nearest emergency room and ask them to contact your primary care physician.
Einstein Pain Institute accepts most insurance plans. Your insurer may have specific exclusions to some chronic pain therapies. Einstein Pain Institute will call your insurer for you to determine your coverage and any limitations on that coverage. We can also find out your co-pays for you.
Treatment FAQs
What happens at the first appointment?
At your first visit, you will meet with a pain management nurse who will review your pain problem and medical history. A pain management physician will then perform a history and physical examination and then review any test or X-ray results. The doctor will then offer a treatment plan based on his assessment.
Will I be treated on the first visit?
In some cases, patients are treated on the first visit. Most patients will, however, be scheduled for their procedure after undergoing appropriate preaparation (such as NPO, holding certain medications, etc.).
Will my pain doctor act as my primary care physician?
No. Einstein Pain Institute respects the integrity of your relationship with your physician and recognizes its value as a vital source of information and support in your treatment plan. We work with your physician keeping them updated on your care and follow-up plans.
Am I going to get a “cortisone shot?”
Many of the injections performed in our center include the use of a steroid medication. Cortisone is no longer used for these types of injections; another steroid called depo-medrol is the most commonly used. Your doctor may decide that a procedure involving depo-medrol is advised.
Do you write prescriptions for chronic pain medications?
In short, no. In early 2000, due to the closing of several area pain clinics, our center saw a tremendous increase in patient referrals. Our waiting list for new appointments exceeded eight weeks. Many of the patients we were seeing in follow-up were on stable doses of medications. For that reason, we decided that the patients' primary or referring physician could follow all patients on stable doses of (narcotic and non-narcotic) medications. Our staff is committed to being available for immediate re-evaluation should issues arise involving these medications.
Many procedures performed here can cause associated numbness, weakness, and/or loss of position sense, which can make the ability to operate an automobile difficult. It is our policy that every patient who has an invasive procedure must have a ride home.
Medication FAQs
Will my pain doctor act as my primary care physician?
No.
Do you prescribe chronic pain medications?
For the sake of appointment availability for our most acute / chronic patients, Einstein Pain Institute procedure is to return patients on stable doses of (narcotic and non-narcotic) medications, to the care of their primary or referring physician. Our staff is committed to being available for immediate re-evaluation should issues arise involving these medications.
No. Legally, only qualified physicians may perform detoxification from narcotic substances.