Pain Management physicians are often anesthesiologists, who have made their specialty the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain. Patients who have completed treatment for a medical condition at a hospital or physician's office and are still experiencing pain, or whose pain is worsening are candidates for treatment by a pain management specialist.

There are also certain types of chronic pain that may be helped by a pain management program, notably the pain associated with cancer surgery or treatment, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or the actual tumor.

Pain management physicians also treat acute pain, such as that caused by injury, illness or surgery. Many patients needlessly suffer chronic or acute pain due to a lack of knowledge of the effectiveness of pain management medicine.