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Radiofrequency Ablation : A back pain treatment that works
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.
Jan 3rd, 2022

An Update from the Expert Pain Team about Care During COVID
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....
Mar 29th, 2021

Conditions that Cause Leg Pain
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.
Nov 11th, 2020

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain
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.
Nov 4th, 2020

Interventional Treatment Options for Back Pain
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...
Oct 28th, 2020

Oh, My Aching Feet!
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, ...
Oct 21st, 2020

Sacroiliitis: Pain in the You-Know-What
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.
Oct 14th, 2020

All Types of Pain are Not the Same
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...
Oct 7th, 2020

Exercises to Relieve Joint Pain
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...
Sep 18th, 2020

LinQ™ Procedure Offers New Hope to Patients with SI Joint Pain
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.
Sep 11th, 2020

Tennis Elbow: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
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.
Sep 4th, 2020

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?
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.
Aug 26th, 2020

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
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 ...
Aug 18th, 2020

DRG Therapy for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
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.
Aug 13th, 2020

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain
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...
Aug 5th, 2020

What are NSAIDs and How are They Used?
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.
Jul 30th, 2020

Treating Chronic Foot 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.
Jul 21st, 2020

What Lower Back Pain Might Mean
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.
Jul 8th, 2020

What is a Pain Management Specialist?
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.
Jul 2nd, 2020

How Chronic Pain Spreads
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.
Jun 29th, 2020

When Surgery Fails to Relieve Back 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.
Jun 22nd, 2020

Degenerative Arthritis
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.
Jun 11th, 2020

Joint Injections for Neck Pain
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”).
Jun 1st, 2020

Treatment Options for Lower Back Pain
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...
May 20th, 2020

Common Causes of Knee Pain
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]
May 15th, 2020

Cervical Radiculopathy: Causes and Symptoms
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...
May 4th, 2020

Causalgia: Another Name for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome II
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...
Apr 22nd, 2020

Neuropathic Pain Types
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...
Apr 14th, 2020

New Hope for Migraine Sufferers
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.
Apr 7th, 2020

Vertiflex: A Treatment Option for Spinal Stenosis
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]
Mar 31st, 2020

Neuropathic Pain: Things to Know
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.
Mar 16th, 2020

Chronic Pain and the Central Nervous System
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.
Mar 4th, 2020

ATTENTION: Flu Season Safety
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:
Feb 27th, 2020

What is Adult Degenerative Scoliosis
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.
Feb 20th, 2020

Peripheral Neuropathy: Diagnosis & Treatments
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.
Feb 5th, 2020

Pain and Stiffness Caused by Arthritis
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.
Feb 3rd, 2020

Osteoporosis and Compression Fractures
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.
Jan 22nd, 2020

What are Stem Cells & How are They Used?
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.
Jan 15th, 2020

Myalgia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
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...
Dec 24th, 2019

How is Spinal Stenosis Diagnosed?
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...
Dec 11th, 2019

Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain
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...
Dec 4th, 2019

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
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.
Nov 27th, 2019

The Facet Joint Injection Procedure
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.
Nov 20th, 2019

How Does Cold Weather Affect Pain?
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.
Nov 14th, 2019

Sciatica: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention
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.
Oct 30th, 2019

Managing Chronic Pain Without Opioids
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.
Oct 25th, 2019

Stretches to Reduce Chronic Pain at Home
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.
Oct 22nd, 2019

What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
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.
Oct 14th, 2019

What is Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation?
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.
Oct 3rd, 2019

Treatment Options for Chronic Migraines
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.
Sep 26th, 2019

What is a Pain Management Doctor?
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...
Sep 17th, 2019

Spinal Cord Stimulation: How it Works
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...
Sep 12th, 2019

Ultrasound imaging and occipital nerve stimulation
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).
Apr 1st, 2010