For your first visit, bring a photo ID, your insurance or MO HealthNet card, a list of your medications and any imaging you already have. Expect around 45 minutes, and you can book directly.
Everything you need for a first visit, and nothing you do not.
What should I bring to my first pain management appointment?
- Photo ID
- Your insurance card, or your Medicaid/MO HealthNet card
- A list of your current medications and doses — a phone photo of the bottles is fine
- Any imaging you already have (MRI, CT, X-ray) on disc, or the name of the facility that did it
- If this is an accident: the claim number, the adjuster’s name, and your attorney’s details if you have one
- A short note of what makes the pain better and worse — it is easy to forget in the room
What happens at the first pain management appointment?
Expect around 45 minutes. A full history, a physical examination, and a review of any imaging you bring. If we need a scan we will arrange it; if the scan you already have answers the question, we will use it.
You will leave with an explanation of what we think is going on and a plan. If a procedure is appropriate it is usually scheduled for a separate visit rather than done the same day.
Do I need a referral for pain management?
You can book directly. Some insurance plans require a referral for specialist care — we will check when you call and help you get one if needed. See insurance and Medicaid.
Can I bring someone to my first appointment?
Yes, and we encourage it, particularly for a first visit or if you have had a head injury. A second set of ears catches what pain and stress make people miss.
Common questions
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly with us. If your insurance plan requires a referral we will tell you when you call, and we can help you get one — see insurance and Medicaid.
Do you accept Medicaid?
Yes. We accept Missouri Medicaid (MO HealthNet) along with Medicare and most commercial plans. Details are on our insurance page.
I was in a car accident but I feel mostly fine. Should I still come in?
Usually yes. Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries often take 24 to 72 hours to declare themselves, and an early record of your symptoms matters both clinically and for any claim. See what to do after a car accident.
Will I be given opioids?
Our aim is the opposite — treating the source of the pain so that opioid doses can come down. Read our opioid stewardship policy for how we handle patients already on a prescription.
What should I bring to my first visit?
A photo ID, your insurance card, a list of your medications, and any imaging or records you already have. The full list is on new patients.
Where are you and is there parking?
12174 Natural Bridge Rd, Suite 110, St. Louis, MO 63044, with free surface parking and step-free access. Directions and map.
More questions about your first visit
How long is the first pain management appointment?
Expect around 45 minutes. That covers a full history, a physical examination and a review of any imaging you bring. The history is longer than many people expect: what the pain does across a full day, what provokes and settles it, and what earlier treatment achieved and for how long.
Will I have a procedure at my first visit?
Usually not. If a procedure is appropriate, it is normally scheduled for a separate visit rather than done the same day. We will not perform a procedure on an assumption we have not tested, and where the honest answer is that no procedure is indicated, that is what you will be told.
What should I tell my pain management doctor?
Tell us what the pain does across a full day, what makes it better and worse, and every treatment you have tried, including ones that helped only partly or for a few weeks. A treatment that helped for three weeks points at a target even though it failed to hold. Bring dates of past injections and two or three goals.
Do I need a new MRI before my first visit?
No. Bring any MRI, CT or X-ray you already have, on a disc or through a patient portal, or the name of the facility that did it. If the scan you already have answers the question, we will use it. If we need a new scan, we will arrange it.
12174 Natural Bridge Rd, Suite 110
St. Louis, MO 63044
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Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.
What the first appointment involves
Expect a longer conversation than you may be used to. What the pain does across a full day, what provokes and settles it, what previous treatment achieved and for how long — partial and temporary responses are asked about specifically, because a treatment that helped for three weeks points at a target even though it failed to hold.
The examination then tests the possibilities the history raises, and it is oriented around reproducing and relieving your pain rather than around a general check. At the end of it you should know what we think is generating the pain, how confident we are, and what the next step would establish.
What to bring
- Photo identification and your insurance card, plus any claim number and adjuster details.
- Prior imaging on a disc or through a patient portal — the images, not only the report.
- A complete list of medications, including anything prescribed elsewhere, over-the-counter medicines and supplements.
- Dates of any previous injections or procedures, and how long each one helped.
- Two or three functional goals: what you want to be able to do again.
What we will not do
We will not continue an existing opioid regimen indefinitely without addressing what is generating the pain, and we will not perform a procedure on an assumption we have not tested. Where the honest answer is that no procedure is indicated, that is what you will be told.