Managing Chronic Pain with Dr. Brunner
If you’re suffering from pain, and conservative treatments aren’t making a difference, it may be time to see a pain management physician. Dr. Daniel Brunner describes when it is the right time to see a pain management physician, along with the process one will go through to narrow down their problem and tailor a treatment plan to best fit their healthcare needs.
Tell us about yourself – Why did you become a Pain Management Physician?
“So, I’m born and raised in Wisconsin. I’m a badger. All the way through college. I went away to Kansas City for medical school, and I was fortunate enough to be able to come back home to Milwaukee and complete my anesthesiology and, pain management fellowship at, the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. I was able to find satisfaction and motivation with treating patients that have had chronic, debilitating pain as well as acute pain, and getting them back to a, function and quality of life that they see fit for themselves.”
When patients come to see you, what can they expect as you being their Pain Managment Physician?
“The first step is having them fill out a patient questionnaire, which helps narrow down their presenting concern. Once they’re roomed, we will discuss the problem further and come up with an appropriate physical exam to perform to help further narrow down what the problem is. At that point, we think about any further imaging or testing that we need to perform, which helps us come with a specific diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan for that specific patient. I often times tell patients we have a toolbox of strategies we can use, and the patient gets to pick and choose from that toolbox as far as what they see fit for their health care.”
When patients come and see you, what are some of those conditions that you are seeing and treating?
“So, the number one presenting concern for patients to see their doctor is oftentimes low back pain. So that’s one of the number one thing I see in clinic. But otherwise, I will see patients for arthritis, nerve pain, muscle pain or any sort of painful condition that is causing, discomfort for a patient.”
So, regarding all of those conditions, when would it be a good time for someone to go in and see a Pain Management Physician?
“Right. So. when a patient is having pain that is occurring for greater than six months and hasn’t responded to various conservative measures, which include, you know, resting ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications that are found over the counter and or if they’ve consulted with their primary care physician or another physician who has recommended they see a pain management physician, that’s when it’s an appropriate time to have a consultation.”
Where are you seeing patients?
“Currently, I’m seeing patients that are Fox Valley location in Neenah at 1205 West American Drive. And then I am also seeing patients in Oshkosh at Mercy Medical Center, which is formerly the Kennedy Center. And that’s at 2700 9th Avenue.”
To find the best pain management treatment for you, Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Brunner!
