10/01/2025
When you’re dealing with pain, it can feel like you need to see a surgeon right away to get answers.
But what most patients don’t realize is that it’s actually the standard of care to see an Advanced Practice Provider (APP), like a Physician Associate (PA) or Nurse Practitioner (NP), first.
Your APP is trained to:
- Evaluate your symptoms
- Order and interpret imaging
- Prescribe medications, injections and non-surgical treatments
- Refer you to a surgeon or interventional pain management specialist if conservative treatments have failed
If you saw the surgeon first, you’d still have to follow the same steps — and it might take even longer since surgeon’s schedules fill up fast.
The benefits from seeing an APP:
- You can be seen sooner (typically within 5 days at Neurosurgery One)
- An APP will take the exact same steps a surgeon would order
- You save time on your path to relief
Our neurosurgeons, pain specialists, and APPs work closely together to make sure you’re getting the right diagnosis and treatment, without unnecessary delays.
