Chicago, Illinois is home to 153 practicing pain medicine doctors who have offices in 2 counties and 32 zip codes, including zip codes 60611, 60612, 60657, 60610, 60640, 60637, 60614, 60674, 60616, 60602, 60646, 60678, 60625, 60631, 60601, 60613, 60608, 60659, 60707, 60693, 60675, 60660, 60647, 60643, 60638, 60634, 60629, 60622, 60618, and 60615.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Chicago has a population of 2,842,518, which gives it a specialist to resident ratio of 1 pain medicine doctor for every 18,578 residents.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.

Description

Pain medicine specialists work with patients to relieve suffering and discomfort that may be present during a medical or surgical procedure, or because of a disease or condition. An anesthesiologist is a physician who has had special training and is board-certified in pain management. A pain medicine specialist can be an anesthesiologist, neurologist, or psychiatrist. This specialist is either the primary physician, or acts as a consultant, to coordinate a patient’s care with other physicians.

For chronic or severe pain, narcotics are often used. Narcotics carry with them a potential for side effects and addiction, so patients and physicians must weigh the level of pain against these concerns in the pain management process.