We feel that is it extremely important for patients as well as other doctors to understand that Pain Management is a board certified medical sub-specialty within anesthesiology and physical medicine/rehabilitation. To be a pain specialist you must first complete a four year residency after medical school and then be accepted into a fellowship for an additional year. The process to get certified requires two- eight hour written exams and a final half day oral exam in front of multiple experts in the field. The reason this is so important for patients to know is understanding that doctors have the freedom to promote themselves any way that they want regardless of their training background. Often with their limited training, all these physicians can do is write and maintain prescriptions never being able to fully diagnose what is causing pain and how to make it stop. To make sure that you are seeing someone fully qualified to adequately manage your pain, please click the link and verify that they have been trained and are board certified. http://www.certificationmatters.org/find-my-doctor