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. Georgia has 242 practicing pain medicine doctors. Broken out by city, pain medicine doctor density in Albany is 5, in Alpharetta is 8, in Athens is 8, in Atlanta is 67, in Augusta is 11, in Austell is 7, in Blue Ridge is 1, in Brunswick is 4, in Buford is 1, in Calhoun is 1, in Canton is 9, in Carrollton is 5, in Cartersville is 10, in Chamblee is 1, in Clayton is 1, in College Park is 1, in Columbus is 7, in Conyers is 3, in Cordele is 1, in Covington is 4, in Cumming is 12, in Dacula is 1, in Dahlonega is 1, in Dalton is 3, in Dawsonville is 1, in Decatur is 7, in Douglas is 1, in Douglasville is 8, in Dublin is 7, in Duluth is 6, in Dunwoody is 1, in Eatonton is 1, in Ellijay is 2, in Evans is 2, in Fayetteville is 4, in Forest Park is 1, in Fort Oglethorpe is 1, in Gainesville is 2, in Gray is 1, in Grayson is 1, in Greensboro is 3, in Griffin is 4, in Hawkinsville is 2, in Hinesville is 1, in Jonesboro is 4, in Kennesaw is 1, in Kingsland is 1, in Lagrange is 1, in Lawrenceville is 12, in Leesburg is 1, in Lithonia is 1, in Mableton is 1, in Macon is 15, in Marietta is 22, in Marrieta is 1, in Martinez is 2, in Morrow is 3, in Newnan is 1, in Norcross is 4, in Peachtree City is 3, in Riverdale is 1, in Rome is 18, in Rossville is 1, in Roswell is 17, in Saint Marys is 1, in Sargent is 1, in Savannah is 3, in Shellville is 1, in Smyrna is 2, in Snellville is 8, in Sparta is 1, in Springfield is 1, in Statesboro is 2, in Stockbridge is 8, in Suwanee is 4, in Tifton is 1, in Tucker is 4, in Valdosta is 2, in Vidalia is 1, in Vienna is 1, in Villa Rica is 1, in Warner Robins is 6, in Waycross is 1, in Winder is 4, and in Woodstock is 5.

Georgia is rich in history, from its statehood in 1788, to its tobacco plantations, to its civil rights memorials. Atlanta is its vibrant capital city, and it offers a myriad of music, arts, sports and nightlife. While in Atlanta, visit the world’s largest aquarium, the Woodruff Arts Center, or the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Ride the Old Town Trolley in Savannah, and listen to some live jazz and blues at one of Savannah’s many festivals. Georgia’s mountain parks offer hiking, biking, climbing, and other outdoor activities. On Georgia’s coastline, you can go boating, deep sea fishing or kayaking in the Atlantic. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge draws many visitors yearly.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Georgia has a population of 9,072,576. Of this population, 2,319,806 are under the age of 18 and 865,997 are at or above the age of 65.