Pain doctors for lien cases in California

Who regulates care in California

• Physician licenses: Medical Board of California
• Work injuries: California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
• Medicaid program: Medi-Cal

Treatments commonly provided on a lien in California

• Epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks for neck, back and radiating pain after a crash.
• Facet injections and radiofrequency ablation when joint pain in the spine persists.
• Medication management and referrals for imaging or surgery consults when needed.

In California, these bills are usually paid from the settlement under a signed lien; the client can still owe them if the case is lost, so read the terms.

Choosing a pain doctor in Los Angeles

• Check the license with the Medical Board of California. Physicians can also be looked up on DocInfo.org.
• Ask whether the doctor is board certified in pain medicine (through anesthesiology, PM&R or neurology).
• Ask which procedures are done in the office and which at a surgery center, and who reads your imaging.
• Bring a list of medicines, prior imaging (MRI, X-ray) and the dates your pain started or changed.
• In California, prescribers check the CURES database before prescribing controlled pain medicines, so tell the doctor about every prescription you take.