We specialize in the following painful conditions:
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Complex regional pain syndrome is described as an abnormal response by the body that causes long-standing pain that doesn’t go away as the body heals from an injury. The nerve endings that control pain in an injured part of the body become too sensitive and this often results in long-lasting pain that is often on-going and grows in intensity.
Causes
- Injury
- Trauma or damage to the affected area.
Symptoms
- Persistent, burning pain in an arm, leg, hand, foot or other part of your body
- Mild or severe pain
- Swelling
- Changes in skin color and/or temperature
Treatment Options
- Injections or sympathetic blocks
- Spinal cord stimulation or Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) nerve stimulation
- Medication Management, Physical therapy for desensitization
- Oral or topical medications
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS is characterized by profound tiredness, regardless of how much rest you get. Symptoms may at time worsen with physical or mental activities. CFS can happen suddenly and may last for years.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain in the muscles and soft tissues all over the body. This typically tends to be a chronic or ongoing condition. Often, pain from Fibromyalgia affects the neck, shoulder, back, chest, hips, arms and legs. Pain is typically worse in the morning and evening and may be increased by stress or sleep problems.
Causes
- The causes of both chronic fatigue syndrome and Fibromyalgia are unknown.
Symptoms
- Medium to severe tiredness (fatigue)
- Less endurance for strenuous activities
- Problems sleeping at night
- Depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Trouble thinking clearly (often called “fibro-fog”)
Treatment Options
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trigger point injections when appropriate
- Full spectrum of medication management including infusion therapies.
Failed Back Surgical Syndrome
(Ongoing back or leg pain after surgery)
Low back and leg pain can persist or return even after back surgery. This pain can be persistent for multiple reasons.
Causes
- Back and spine surgery does not always completely eliminate a patient’s pain
- An injury to the nerves or tissues may continue to cause pain after surgery
Symptoms
- Dull, burning or sharp pain in your back or legs. Pain can be limited to a single spot or a large area.
- Stiffness and aching that occurs anywhere along your spine.
Treatment Options
- Injections targeting the epidural space or facet joints
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Medication management and physical therapy
Persistent pain after surgery (knee or shoulder)
After surgery, patients often experience significant pain relief. There are times, however, when a patient will continue to have pain after surgery. Surgery can sometimes increase irritation or inflammation of nerves and tissues in the area of the body where the surgery is performed. This can lead to pain after surgery in areas that may have not been painful prior.
Causes
- Many factors can contribute to persistent pain
- Nerve injury/irritation during surgery
- Scar tissue
- Inflammation
- Stress, anxiety
Symptoms
- Pain in or near the area where a surgery was performed
- Pain radiating to nearby areas of the body
- Burning pain
- Stabbing/sharp pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
Treatment Options
- Injection therapy
- Radio frequency ablation (burning the nerve)
- Iovera°® or cryoanalgesia (freezing the nerve)
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
- Regenerative medicine such as platelet rich plasma (PRP)
- Ultrasound guided joint injections
- Physical therapy and medication management
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal which is the tunnel that the spinal cord runs through. Stenosis can cause pressure on your spinal cord or the nerves that go from your spinal cord to the muscle. Spinal stenosis can happen in any part of your spine but is most common in the lower back, known as the lumbar spine.
Causes
- Narrowing of the spinal canal
- Injury to the spine
- Certain bone diseases
- Past surgery of the spine
- Arthritis
Symptoms
- Pain in the back
- Burning pain going into the buttock and down into the legs (sciatica)
- Numbness, tingling, cramping, or weakness in the legs
- Loss of sensation in the feet
- Weakness in a foot that causes the foot to slap down when walking. This is also called foot drop.
- Pressure on the nerves in the lumbar region can also cause more serious symptoms known as cauda equina syndrome. If you have any symptoms such as loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in between your legs, inner thighs, back of legs, or severe weakness in the legs, get medical attention right away.
Treatment Options
- Spinal cord stimulation or mild
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Physical therapy and/or medication management
