Back pain is one of the most common reasons a patient comes to a pain management physician's clinic due to spine facet osteoarthritis. Radiofrequency ablation of the spinal facet joints represents the standard of care for long term pain relief.
The headlines tell us that there is light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, with vaccine distribution beginning in the next few weeks. But it will be several months before the majority of the population can be vaccinated, so it is critical that....
Dr. Skaribas is excited to announce that he has been selected as a Limited Market Release (LMR) site for the NeuroSphere™ myPath™ App., the latest Spinal Cord and DRG Stimulation patient-centric innovation within the Abbott NeuroSphere™ ...
When people experience pain in their legs, it can fall into two major categories: acute or chronic. Acute pain comes on suddenly and is often caused by injury or damage to the bones, tendons or ligaments in the legs.
The body’s nervous system can be thought of as a “hub and spoke” model, where the hub (the brain) serves as the central control room that sends and receives messages from the spokes, the nerves in the spinal cord, skin, muscles and other parts of the body.
The human spine consists of 24 separate vertebrae interspaced with cartilage, plus the two bones of the sacrum and coccyx. Supporting these bones are 23 discs, more than 30 muscles and tendons that provide spinal balance, stability and mobility...
Under normal circumstances, an injury such as a broken bone or sprained ankle will heal on its own with appropriate care such as casting, rest, elevation, etc. Once healed, there are generally no long-term effects. Or as some would say, ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to change the way we live and work. And for many of those working from home, the changes have been literally painful.
Dr. Skaribas Featured in Pain Awareness Video Highlighting Neuromodulation
When our bodies hurt, we don’t usually stop to think about the kind of pain we have, we just want relief. But to pain medicine specialists, accurately diagnosing the kind of pain the patient is experiencing is key to developing an effective...
When people complain about shoulder pain, many assume that the rotator cuff is the source of their pain. But unless you are a major league pitcher or quarterback or have spent a career in a job that requires repeated overhead arm motions...
September is Pain Awareness month in the United States and has special significance for the estimated 32.5 million adult Americans who suffer from painful osteoarthritis.[i]
For patients with pain in their joints, the thought of exercise can be, well, painful. Yet exercise is critical to relieving pain. That is because exercising painful joints helps replenish necessary lubrication to joint cartilage and can reduce...
Although upwards of 80 percent of Americans suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives, sometimes the pain is not coming from their spine per se. Sometimes it may come from the sacroiliac joints where the lower spine and pelvis connect.
Although it is referred to as tennis elbow, this condition is not exclusive to tennis players. Lateral epicondylitis, better known as Tennis elbow, is a muscle strain injury that is typically caused from overuse.
Nearly half of patients who have diabetes suffer from some kind of neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by high glucose levels. It is common and serious for patients who have diabetes.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SJD) also known as Sacroilitis, is a condition that directly affects the sacroiliac joints that reside in the lumbar region of the spine. These joints sit right where the spine and pelvis connect with several ligaments ...
Dorsal Root Ganglion therapy, DRG for short, is a neuromodulatory therapy which treats chronic pain. Dorsal root ganglions are collections of nerve cells that reside on both sides of each vertebrae at the dorsal root of the spinal nerve.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been recognized as the most commonly used form of pain management treatment after nonsurgical treatments have failed for patients. This treatment has been used and studied for hundreds of years and made its debut in...
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or irritation. As a self-defense mechanism, inflammation can be key to determining what is wrong, although reducing that inflammation is crucial to managing your pain.
Ask anyone who has ever suffered foot pain, either from something as simple as a pair of ill-fitting shoes or from a disease such as diabetes, and they will tell you that painful feet can severely impact one’s quality of life.
Amid our nation’s pandemic, many recreational activities have had to be put on hold. One that has been deemed to be fairly safe, however, is golf.
There is a reason that upwards of 80 percent of all adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives.[i] Much of it has to do with the anatomy of the lower (lumbar) spine.
In science, as more and more information about a specific topic is learned, it often leads to subspecialties. Consider the field of physics. There are astrophysicists, nuclear physicists, molecular physicists, and so on.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is one of the most common hereditary neuropathies affecting one in 2500 people in the United States. CMT disease is associated with moderate to severe chronic extremity pain.
Serious sailors know that a small amount of rust on a boat can become a much bigger problem if it is not addressed quickly. The same applies to pain.
Patients who live with chronic back pain are often desperate for relief, and understandably so. Back pain can impact their ability to do basic daily tasks, such as working, driving and shopping.
The human body, like even the most fine-tuned automobile, cannot avoid the effects of aging. Wear-and-tear causes parts to break down over time.
Nobody likes a pain in the neck…literally. Neck pain often radiates to the head, jaw and upper extremities including the shoulders and arms. In some cases, it may simply be the result of a muscle spasm (“a crick in the neck”).
When people suffer from back pain, it usually occurs in the lower back, known as the lumbar region. This area tends to bear the brunt of our daily twisting and turning, bending and lifting. It is also where the weight of the upper body comes to rest...
It is estimated that the average, moderately active person will walk about 110,000 miles during their lifetime.[1] That’s the equivalent of eight round-trip walks from Houston to Alaska.[2]
Dr. Skaribas has been having great success in caring for patients using our virtual Telehealth services. He is certainly making the most out of this current situation!
Cervical radiculopathy occurs when nerve roots in the cervical spine (the seven vertebrae in the neck) become pinched or irritated. Some patients experience numbness, tingling or weakness; others report pain that ranges from a dull ache to a burning...
Patients who experience chronic, severe burning pain in a limb due to an injury to a peripheral nerve may have once been told that they suffer from causalgia. Today, the condition is more often referred to as Type 2 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome...
Neuropathic pain is often the result of nerve damage or a malfunctioning nervous system that sends pain signals to the brain even if there is no trigger, such as an injury or inflammation. In some patients, sensory signals simply get crossed and...
Anyone who has endured the intense, throbbing pain of a migraine knows that these headaches can be truly disabling. They can cause nausea, vomiting and hypersensitivity to sensory triggers like light and sound.
It has been estimated that 95 percent of the population has degenerative changes of the spine by the time they reach the age of 50,[i] with upwards of 500,000 Americans suffering from symptoms related to spinal stenosis.[ii]
What is Neuropathic Pain? When damage or dysfunction is caused to the nervous system, the nerves are unable to function properly which can cause pain. This is called neuropathic pain.
Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing or lasts longer than 6 months. And while this pain can be debilitating and affect your daily life, it can also cause other serious health issues and affect the central nervous system.
With the flu season still in effect, and the coronavirus posing a threat, Expert Pain reminds all its patients and the public the following 3 very basic rules of profylaxis:
Degenerative adult scoliosis, also known as adult onset scoliosis, is when the facet joints and intervertebral discs deteriorate and lead to a curve in the spine. This side-to-side curve occurs over time as a person gets older.
Peripheral neuropathy is the term used for disorders that are caused by damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system connects nerves from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.
Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of the joints. It is a term used to describe over 200 types of joint conditions. Two of the main symptoms that are associated with arthritis are pain and stiffness.
As we age, our bones get weak, thin, and prone to diseases such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a medical condition where your bones become fragile and weak.
Over the last few years, technology, research, and success rates involving stem cells & regenerative medicine have skyrocketed. This treatment type holds a great deal of promise to help patients who suffer from chronic pain conditions.
A pain in the neck – a quiet literal condition. Neck pain is one of the most common complaints and aches that doctors hear. Fortunately, neck pain is rarely the sign of a more complicated condition.
Muscle pain is common, and can originate in any muscle of the body. The medical term for muscle pain is myalgia. Myalgia can be described as muscle pains, aches, and pain associated with ligaments, tendons, and the soft tissues that connect bones...
What is Spinal Stenosis? The spine consists of bones called vertebrae. The job of these bones is to provide stability and support for the upper body. Nerves run through the openings in the vertebrae and transmit signals from the brain to the rest...
When it comes to your pain, there are two different types of pain: acute and chronic. All pain is uncomfortable, unwanted, and unpleasant. No matter the type of pain, it can range from mild to severe and all pain has the ability to reduce...
Nutcracker syndrome is a rare disorder caused by compression of the left renal vein, usually between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. It typically presents with left-sided abdominal pain and hematuria. Left renal vein transposition...
Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is the term used for continued pain a patient has after an unsuccessful back surgery. The patient is usually referred to a pain management specialist to treat existing pain.
Facet joints are small, bony joints that sit along the spine. They are paired up from the neck to the lower back area. When the joints get inflamed, they cause pain that can be severe.
As leaves begin to fall and you break out a jacket and your sweaters, it is safe to say that colder weather is on the horizon. People have very different opinions on the colder temperatures – either they love it, or dislike it.
Chronic pain affects millions of Americans each year. Back pain is not only uncomfortable, but it can be debilitating and cause damage to other parts of the body.
If you suffer from sciatica, you know how painful it can be. It disrupts your daily life, affecting everything from sitting in the car to standing in the kitchen to make a meal.
There are a lot of options for treating pain without the use of narcotics. The opioid epidemic is spreading across the nation at frightening rates. Many state laws are cracking down on opioid prescriptions to prevent excessive prescribing.
Living with pain does not have to be “the norm.” In fact, incorporating a regular stretching routine into you daily activities can not only help relieve pain, but it can prevent pain from becoming persistent.
Imagine a medical scenario when severe burning pain develops in an area of your body and starts spreading over a limp usually traveling to the opposite extremity or in other parts progressively becoming incapacitating and taking over your life.
The Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) is a small bundle of nerve structures (neurons) connected to the spinal nerves of each vertebra along your spine. The DRG is critical in processing pain signals and transmitting them to your brain.
Approximately 12% of Americans suffer from migraines. However, only 1% of the population suffers from chronic migraines. A chronic migraine is defined as a severe headache occurring 15 or more times a month, for more than three months.
If you live with chronic pain or suffer from an incident where you find yourself in pain, chances are, you’ll be referred to a pain management specialist. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) offers one of the most widely...
Spinal cord stimulation therapy is a pain treatment that masks the pain signal before they reach the brain. A device similar to a pacemaker is implanted in the body and delivers electrical pulses to the spinal cord. This is an option for patients...
To date, spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pump delivery systems represent the most common implantable devices in pain medicine. Pre-surgical psychological evaluations have been recommended since their very first use.
The Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) is dedicated to improving the safety and efficacy of neuromodulation and thus improving the lives of patients undergoing neuromodulation therapies.
Scientific evidence supports spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as a cost‐effective treatment option that, for many disease states, should be employed earlier in the treatment continuum. Reimbursement for SCS in the cervical spine has recently ...
The objective of this study was to present results from a multicenter registry designed to obtain longitudinal clinical outcome data for patients implanted with a neuromodulation system for the management of chronic pain of the trunk and/or limbs.
Occipital peripheral nerve stimulation is an interventional pain management therapy that provides beneficial results in the treatment of refractory chronic occipital neuralgia. Herein we present a first-of-its-kind case study of a patient with...
Occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) is a peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) technique that has been used with success in the management of intractable chronic daily headaches (CDHs) and occipital neuralgia (ON).
To show the value of computed tomography (CT) in selectively blocking the pudendal nerve in patients with long-term anogenital pain of uncertain etiology.
The sacroiliac joint as a source of chronic pain has been a subject of debate for a long period of time. This controversy stems from the inherent anatomic location of the...
