Living with chronic pain can be tough, but it’s even more challenging for patients while they try to be productive at work. As a physician anesthesiologist who works with a broad range of chronic pain patients, I understand how difficult it is to transition back to a high-paced, high functioning job environment while still living with constant pain.

Alleviating pain has been a primary focus of my career as a physician anesthesiologist. Just as there are physicians who specialize in treating conditions such as cancer, heart disease or allergies, there are specialists in treating pain. These physicians complete four years of medical school and further training in a specialty, such as anesthesiology, physical medicine, and rehabilitation, psychiatry or neurology, followed by an additional year of training to become an expert in chronic pain.

When planning to undergo a surgical procedure, with or without subsequent hospitalization, I always encourage patients to use a method that is a hallmark of patient safety; a checklist. The following is a simple checklist for patients to use before surgery to help them ease any fears about going under the knife as well as afford the feeling of being an active rather than passive participant.

Opioids often are the go-to pain killer for everything from back aches and injuries to post-surgical pain, as evidenced by the more than 300 million prescriptions written each year. While they can be effective for moderate to severe short-term pain, opioids are not without risk.