Pain Medicine News: “Progress, If No Breakthroughs, In Chronic Post-op Pain”
Pain Medicine News is a very good monthly newspaper that focuses on breakthroughs in the science and treatment of chronic pain. Unlike medical journals, which can be difficult and expensive for patients to understand and access, this newspaper does a good job of summarizing the findings and making them available for free. Although some of.. read more →
Low Back Pain Treatment: Radiofrequency for Facet Joint Pain
As I mentioned previously, facet joints are a common and underdiagnosed source of chronic low back pain. Medical studies show that 15-40% of non-sciatica low back pain is caused by facet joint problems. Fortunately, one of the most safe and effective treatments in all of pain medicine (radiofrequency neurotomy) targets facet joint pain specifically. Part.. read more →
Epidurals for Back Pain: Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections
Epidural steroid injections in the low back are the most common type of spinal injections that I perform in my practice. The goal of epidural injections is to deliver anti-inflammatory medication (similar to cortisone) as close as possible to irritated and painful nerves, often seen in conditions like sciatica from disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and.. read more →
Back Pain: 8 Causes to Know
Back pain, especially lower back pain, is a huge problem! In fact, back pain is the most common reason why I see patients in my office. According to the CDC’s National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, over 13 million doctor’s visits occur each year for “back symptoms,” and most commonly this is in the lumbar spine.. read more →
Ventura Pain & Spine Physicians Grand Opening
We released our official press release today announcing the opening of our new practice in Ventura for people seeking help for back pain, neck pain, and other chronic pain. The release contains a good summary of my background and the effective pain treatments that I offer for many people suffering from unrelenting pain. Many people.. read more →
Henry Ford Hospital: “Few Doctors Have Adequate Training to Effectively Treat Chronic Pain”
An article published in the Journal of American Osteopathic Association has been getting a lot of attention over the past week. The article, by Dr. Raymond Hobbs and colleagues at Henry Ford Hospital, details how most doctors have little formal training in the treatment of chronic pain: 100 million Americans are estimated to have a.. read more →
Radiofrequency Ablation: How It Works for Pain Relief
Radiofrequency Ablation (also called RFA, radiofrequency neurotomy, radiofrequency nerve lesioning, or facet rhizotomy) is a great treatment option for certain types of back pain, neck pain, whiplash pain, and even headache. It is a minimally-invasive procedure that takes only minutes but provides months to years of lasting pain relief. Instead of using short-lasting medication, radiofrequency.. read more →
Sciatica Pain: Not Always the Sciatic Nerve
If you have intense pain that radiates down your leg from your low back or buttock, you may have been told that you have sciatica pain. Treatment for sciatica is one of the most common reasons for referral to a pain doctor. Because of its name, “sciatica” is often misunderstood as meaning a pinched sciatic.. read more →
Chronic Pain: Why See a Pain Management Doctor?
As a physician specializing in chronic pain and pain management, I deal exclusively with painful problems and pain treatments. Just as you might consult a cardiologist for a heart problem, or a neurologist for a nerve problem, there are specialist doctors like me who have in-depth knowledge and experience in treating problems like chronic back.. read more →
