I thought anesthesiologists were only needed in surgical situations. Anesthesiologists' responsibilities during surgery are focused on safely maintaining the vital functions of the body and relieving pain. Many of the techniques they use to make surgery painless can be expanded to relieve other types of pain. Today's anesthesiologists, after completing an undergraduate college program and four years of medical school, go on to study pain management during their four years of anesthesiology residency.
Many anesthesiologists receive further postgraduate education to become pain management specialists.
Frequently, the anesthesiologist who specializes in pain management heads a team of medical professionals. The group may include other physicians, nurses and therapists. With their combined expertise, they work together to tailor a plan for the most effective treatment of a particular pain problem. Acute pain is pain of a short, limited duration, usually the result of an injury, surgery or medical illness. Acute pain often goes away with the healing process.