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. Idaho has 14 practicing pain medicine doctors. Broken out by city, pain medicine doctor density in Boise is 8, in Coeur D Alene is 2, in Idaho Falls is 2, in Lewiston is 2, in Meridian is 3, and in Mountain Home is 1.

Idaho achieved statehood 1890, and its capital city is Boise. The recent boom of science and technology has superseded agriculture and tourism as the state’s primary resource. Visit the Idaho State Historical Society or the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts in Boise, or tour the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. Places to see in Idaho include a mountain resort, a mining-era town, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, or the Ernest Hemingway Memorial.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Idaho has a population of 1,429,096. Of this population, 365,765 are under the age of 18 and 163,142 are at or above the age of 65.