Little is discussed about how conservative, responsible interventional pain management is an integral part of the solution to the opioid crisis.

Frederick, MD -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/23/2018 -- The term pain management is often confusing among the plethora of resources and definitions out there. Naturally, in the face of the opioid crisis specialties and alternative therapy providers, in particular, take advantage of this very real and serious epidemic to promote their beliefs and businesses. However, little is discussed about how conservative, responsible interventional pain management is an integral part of the solution to the opioid crisis.

Dr. Chirag Sanghvi of Newbridge Spine & Pain Center sees patients in Frederick county and Loudoun county, "I can see my prescribing statistics through the Virginia prescription monitoring program (PMP). These statistics show that over 98% of my prescriptions are below the CDC guidelines of 90 MME (84% below 50 MME). Compare this to similar prescribers at 81% (just 55% below 50 MME). I can keep opioid prescribing low because I have other ways to treat pain."

With such a huge variety of procedures the interventional pain specialty can target the source of pain very specifically.

Interventional physicians are able to use ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance as tools to visualize specific nerves and nerve bundles for example to reach the exact point of inflammation.

Mary, a patient diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, disc herniation and disc degeneration in her lower back states, "The first time I [received these procedures] I didn't have to go back for almost 2 yrs. I haven't been as pain free for 20 yrs. [I was not prescribed] any pain pills either."

Think of interventional pain management as a revolving door. The intention is not to keep the patient coming back on a regular schedule, unlike treatments such as chiropractic, but to see patients quickly (within a week of first contact), assess the source of pain, and ensure the patient returns to their normal routine relatively pain free as soon as possible. If invasive surgery is the best course of treatment interventional pain doctors will refer out but may be able to relieve pain temporarily while patients wait to see a surgeon.

Questions you should ask before selecting an interventional pain management provider:

- Do they have a vast tool kit of procedures and treatments or are they limited to medications?
- Are they 100% focused on treating pain?
- Are the doctors board-certified in Anesthesia AND Pain Management?
- Do they take a multi-modal approach to include referring to physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and address diet?

Do not seek pain management from your primary care doctor. Patients seeking pain treatment from their PCP first often prescribed opioids when they could have avoided medications altogether. Once these patients reach a pain specialist often they are already on high doses of opioids or narcotics and may have become dependent.

If you're in pain avoid opioid medications as a first treatment option, whenever possible. There are a number of medications that can hold a patient over until longer-term treatment is available. Medications that do not come with the same risks of addiction. Ask your pain management specialist about treatments and medications appropriate for your specific pain conditions.

To learn more about interventional pain procedures and the conditions that can be treated with these minimally-invasive treatments visit https://newbridgespine.com

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Pain Management is a confusing term. With so many options for treating legitimate pain how can patients know where to seek treatment for their specific pain?

Frederick, MD -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/08/2018 -- Where Should You Seek Treatment For Your Pain?

Pain management is like a dirty word these days. With so much attention being brought to the opioid crisis, and rightly so, there have been countless articles, radio ads, and magazine features dedicated to the topic of "pain management". Naturally this attention has also created much confusion around what this term means. Pain management is actually a very broad term that includes a wide spectrum of medical professions and wide range of specialists and skill sets. It can include pill-mills where anyone with a license to prescribe can give out medications, to Primary Care physicians, Physical therapists, Chiropractors, Physical Medicine & Rehab physicians, Anesthesiologists, Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic Surgeons.

What are your options?

Primary care doctor: your primary care doctor is often the first person you think to make an appointment with for any ailment. In the case of pain these physicians are not equipped to solve any pain issue and may prescribe unnecessary medications in many cases they will and should refer you out to a specialist. In fact, a study published by the National Library of Medicine states, "In 2012, U.S. pharmacies and long-term care facilities dispensed 4.2 billion prescriptions, 289 million (6.8%) of which were opioids. Primary care specialties accounted for nearly half of all dispensed opioid prescriptions." [Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6034509/]

Depending on your insurance you may not need a referral to a specialist so don't waste the money on a copay and go directly to a pain specialist when you can.

What about alternative pain treatments like Chiropractic?

The Chiropractic industry is surrounded by a history of controversy assisted by aggressive marketing with claims that nearly any health condition can be cured by spinal manipulation. The basis for chiropractic is "subluxation" this effectively describes misalignment in the spine. There are many resources available online that discuss the pros, cons and controversies of Chiropractic a good source to start is https://www.painscience.com. However, Chiropractic is not always the best/ only alternative solution. Just like any treatment Chiropractic manipulation may help many patients in many cases, however, these treatments are not a cure-all despite the claims.

Chiropractic can actually worsen certain conditions for example osteoporosis, compression fractures of the spine, and conditions causing instability of the spine.

In these cases, interventional pain management has procedures to fill such gaps in chiropractic care. A good example of this is the kyphoplasty procedure. This procedure takes approximately one hour for each fractured vertebra. The procedure fills the fracture in the spine, restores stability and vertebral height and reduces or even eliminates pain by removing pressure on the impacted nerves.

One kyphoplasty patient states, "I had a compound fracture of L1 [lumbar spine]. I walked with a walker and slept on [the] sofa [I had] lost about 15lbs. Now [after kyphoplasty] I'm back to normal!"

A good interventional pain specialist will recommend a multi-modal treatment plan for many conditions. In many cases a treatment plan will include diet changes and physical therapy to restore movement and mobility.

However, for many patients nerve pain and damage can be so debilitating they are unable to reap the benefits of PT treatment until their pain is reduced. This is another reason receiving interventional procedures first helps patients get back on their feet sooner.

PM&R differs to an Anesthesiologist in interventional pain management. "For anesthesiologists, interventional procedures are the nuts and bolts of their training from day one of medical school" which is approximately 10 years including residency and fellowship. "However, in the case of PM&R these physicians are only exposed to such procedures in their fellowships (1-2 years)" states Dr. Jay Gonchigar, Medical Director of Newbridge Spine & Pain Center with 20 years of experience as an Anesthesiologist board-certified in the interventional pain field.

Often PM&R are not trained or comfortable performing certain types of procedures including procedures for the cervical spine (neck).

Patients with such conditions may get less effective treatments or medications they don't need if they aren't referred out to an Anesthesiologist trained in pain management.

Break free from the burden of pain. Pain is most effectively treated through a variety of treatments not just one. Factors contributing to a patients prolonged pain may include:

- Condition: What is causing the pain?
- Time: How long has the patient left their condition untreated?
- Is there permanent damage to nerves?

Avoiding treatment because it is perceived to be time consuming may lead to:

1) Need for prolonged treatment
2) Potential long-term damage
3) Risk of medication dependence as patients take "convenient" medications to mask pain

Learn more about minimally-invasive, cost and time-saving interventional pain management treatments at https://newbridgespine.com.

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