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.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 658 practicing pain medicine doctors. Broken out by city, pain medicine doctor density in Anaheim is 6, in Apple Valley is 3, in Arcadia is 2, in Arroyo Grande is 1, in Atascadero is 1, in Auburn is 1, in Bakersfield is 8, in Berkeley is 4, in Beverly Hills is 13, in Brentwood is 4, in Burbank is 2, in Camarillo is 3, in Carlsbad is 3, in Colton is 2, in Concord is 8, in Corona is 5, in Covina is 1, in Daly City is 2, in Danville is 1, in Downey is 3, in El Cajon is 1, in Encinitas is 9, in Escondido is 6, in Fremont is 5, in Fresno is 9, in Fullerton is 5, in Garden Grove is 4, in Gardena is 1, in Gilroy is 2, in Glendale is 3, in Huntington Beach is 6, in Irvine is 11, in La Habra is 2, in Lafayette is 2, in Laguna Beach is 3, in Laguna Hills is 8, in Laguna Niguel is 2, in Lake Forest is 4, in Lakewood is 6, in Larkspur is 1, in Loma Linda is 19, in Long Beach is 10, in Los Angeles is 71, in Los Gatos is 11, in Merced is 2, in Mill Valley is 2, in Mission Viejo is 12, in Modesto is 4, in Napa is 2, in Newport Beach is 15, in Oakland is 13, in Oceanside is 6, in Ontario is 4, in Orange is 15, in Oxnard is 2, in Palm Desert is 3, in Palm Springs is 7, in Palo Alto is 24, in Pasadena is 8, in Perris is 2, in Petaluma is 1, in Pleasanton is 4, in Rancho Mirage is 7, in Redondo Beach is 2, in Redwood City is 4, in Riverside is 10, in Roseville is 2, in Sacramento is 27, in Salinas is 2, in San Bernardino is 5, in San Clemente is 2, in San Diego is 43, in San Francisco is 31, in San Jose is 12, in San Leandro is 8, in San Luis Obispo is 8, in San Mateo is 4, in San Rafael is 1, in San Ramon is 6, in Santa Ana is 4, in Santa Barbara is 10, in Santa Cruz is 2, in Santa Maria is 6, in Santa Monica is 7, in Santa Rosa is 6, in Simi Valley is 1, in Sonora is 2, in Stockton is 5, in Sunnyvale is 1, in Temecula is 4, in Thousand Oaks is 3, in Torrance is 10, in Upland is 1, in Vacaville is 1, in Victorville is 2, in Vista is 2, in Walnut Creek is 8, in Watsonville is 2, in West Covina is 3, and in Whittier is 3.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.