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. Florida has 486 practicing pain medicine doctors. Broken out by city, pain medicine doctor density in Altamonte Springs is 8, in Apopka is 1, in Aventura is 5, in Boca Raton is 22, in Bonita Springs is 4, in Boynton Beach is 8, in Bradenton is 6, in Brooksville is 5, in Cape Coral is 8, in Casselberry is 1, in Chiefland is 2, in Chipley is 1, in Clearwater is 24, in Clermont is 7, in Cocoa Beach is 2, in Coconut Creek is 1, in Coral Gables is 6, in Coral Springs is 5, in Crestview is 3, in Dade City is 2, in Daytona Beach is 7, in Deerfield Beach is 3, in Delray Beach is 13, in Destin is 4, in Dunedin is 5, in Fort Lauderdale is 31, in Fort Myers is 15, in Fort Pierce is 2, in Fort Walton Beach is 5, in Gainesville is 27, in Gulf Breeze is 5, in Hialeah is 3, in Hollywood is 9, in Jacksonville is 37, in Jacksonville Beach is 3, in Jupiter is 4, in Key West is 2, in Kissimmee is 13, in Lady Lake is 1, in Lake City is 4, in Lake Wales is 1, in Lake Worth is 10, in Lakeland is 7, in Largo is 5, in Lauderdale Lakes is 2, in Lauderhill is 2, in Leesburg is 1, in Longwood is 6, in Maitland is 4, in Margate is 3, in Mary Esther is 2, in Melbourne is 6, in Miami is 31, in Miami Beach is 3, in Miami Springs is 1, in Miramar is 3, in Mount Dora is 1, in Naples is 17, in New Port Richey is 10, in New Smyrna Beach is 4, in Niceville is 1, in North Miami is 3, in North Miami Beach is 2, in Ocala is 6, in Ocoee is 5, in Orange City is 5, in Orange Park is 7, in Orlando is 27, in Ormond Beach is 6, in Palm Bay is 1, in Palm Beach Gardens is 3, in Palm Coast is 5, in Panama City is 5, in Parkland is 1, in Pembroke Pines is 4, in Pensacola is 17, in Pinellas Park is 5, in Plant City is 6, in Plantation is 1, in Pompano Beach is 7, in Port Orange is 1, in Safety Harbor is 6, in Sanford is 1, in Sarasota is 12, in Sebastian is 1, in Seminole is 2, in Stuart is 6, in Sunrise is 2, in Tallahassee is 5, in Tamarac is 12, in Tampa is 44, in Tarpon Springs is 1, in Temple Terrace is 2, in Titusville is 1, in Venice is 3, in Vero Beach is 5, in West Palm Beach is 18, in Weston is 2, in Winter Haven is 7, and in Winter Park is 6.

Florida’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it a winter destination for many. Population in 2000 was 15,982,378, according to census statistics. Tallahassee, located in the north panhandle area, is the state capital. Tourism is a major industry in Florida, with Cape Canaveral, Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Universal Studios, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast all destinations for visitors and residents. Year-round outdoor activities include camping, golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and boating.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Florida has a population of 17,789,864. Of this population, 3,975,071 are under the age of 18 and 2,978,335 are at or above the age of 65.