When you haven't got time for the pain
"We don't quit until a patient's pain is relieved," says
Kenneth Rogers, DO, a Virtua physician board certified in both anesthesiology and pain management. "First, we locate exactly what part of the body the pain is generating from, then find a way to stop it. Pain can be an elusive enemy — destroying a person's psychosocial well-being and ruining everyday life."
Locating the cause of the pain
New non-invasive approaches
Locating the cause of the pain
Pain can be caused by everything from a herniated disk to the pain of cancer, and from diabetic nerve injury to osteoporosis. Many complaints about pain are spinal related, and no one is immune. Patients from their late teen's into their 90s suffer with back and leg complaints, pains in the neck and arm, even pain in the chest wall. Patients are often referred to a specialist like Dr. Rogers after a variety of treatments have not provided relief.
Dr. Rogers looks at pain from every angle. He says: "The critical first step is getting a correct diagnosis — doing a complete history and physical, possibly including either an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT scan (computerized tomography), x-rays and/or a myelogram, a dye study of the spinal fluid indicating if there is disk compression."
If a specific spinal structure, like a disc is causing the problem, a common treatment is toperform a diagnostic injection to temporarily block the nerves for that structure to see if the pain stops. If a patient responds to the treatment and the pain subsides for at least three months, the treatment is considered successful.
New non-invasive approaches
Virtua physicians are among the few in South Jersey who also perform a relatively non-invasive treatment for pain management. It is called intra-discal electrothermal annuloplasty. Here, a doctor seals a disc tear with a needle, using an x-ray for guidance and accuracy — a procedure that can be done as an outpatient.
Other techniques that can be tried on a temporary basis first include intrathecal pain therapy where a small, implanted pump delivers medicine directly to the spinal cord. Because this method is direct, side effects that other pain medications cause like fatigue and grogginess are avoided.
Spinal cord stimulation is another way to block pain. A small receiver is implanted in the body along with a spinal cord stimulator that is placed against the spinal column. The stimulator sends tiny, electrical pulses to block pain messages to the brain, helping to alleviate pain for the patient.
If you or someone you know suffers from pain, the physicians at Virtua can help you find a way to control it. Virtua offers an interdisciplinary pain program that treats the whole person. Our pain management physicians work closely with Virtua internists and family practitioners, neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopaedic surgeons, psychiatrists, physiatrists and rheumatologists. There's even a holistic health program that offers hypnosis. Call us today, and get pain out of your life.