Our Patient Goals

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The goals for all of our patients are as follows:

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1. Improve quality of life

2. Improve functional status

3. Improve ability to participate in activities of daily living

4. Avoid or wean from opioid analgesic medications

5. Avoid major surgical interventions unless absolutely indicated

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This is what we strive for in each patient. The best way we can achieve this is for patients to come to see us early in their pain process. The ideal time for a patient suffering from pain to visit us is prior to surgery and prior to being placed on prescription pain medications. It is much easier to prevent a patient from using opioid analgesics than it is to taper a patient off from them. Pain also tends to be easier to treat if we are able to see the patient prior to any procedures such as injections or surgery. While injections and surgeries are at times indicated for pain, they can at other times be counter-productive and exacerbate symptoms.

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We understand that being able to see a patient early in his or her process will not always be possible.  Many chronic pain patients have received multiple surgeries and are currently using prescription pain medications to provide relief.  We are happy to help with these patients as well.  Please keep in mind, however, that we cannot write for opioid analgesics during the first visit and there is no guarantee that prescription pain medications will be written for at subsequent visits.  There are strict criteria in place for patients receiving prescription pain medications and when written for, must only be written for by one provider at a time.

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Since the cause of pain tends to frequently be multidimensional in nature, we tend to follow a multidisciplinary team approach. A team consisting of us, the Primary Care Team, physical and/or occupational therapy and others (when indicated) is what is often necessary.  Our direct treatment and diagnostic options include the following:

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1. Customized Rehabilitation Therapy

2. Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies

3. Optimizing Medication Management

4. Image-Guided Targeted Injections

5. Minimally Invasive Procedures​