Chronic pain
Chronic pain persists for extended periods, usually over three to six months, beyond the normal healing time. It can stem from various conditions and affects physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain may persist long after initial injuries have healed, impacting daily life and functioning.
Subscribe to the BlogSide Effects of Steroids: Joint Replacement Infections AGAIN…
I’ve blogged quite a bit on the inconvenient truth that while steroid medications are powerful anti-inflammatories that are commonly used without much medical thought, they’re really bad for your body. As one example, a prior highlighted study had shown that getting a hip steroid shot increases the likelihood that a hip replacement surgery will fail…read more
Listening to the Body on Exam: An Old Car Crash Upper Back Injury Speaks…
One of the most famous physicians of all time is Sir William Osler, the father of the modern residency program that uses real-world clinical experiences to train young doctors. One of his most famous sayings was, “Listen to your patient; he is telling you the diagnosis.” I’ve heard that same mantra paraphrased through the years…read more Rotator Cuff Surgery Results: Only 1/2 of Athletes Return to Play!
Throwing and other athletes tear their rotator cuff all the time, and you would expect that modern orthopedic surgery would have a great answer for these highly active patients. However, a recent study shows rather poor rotator cuff surgery results with professional and competitive athletes. In fact, less than half returned to the same level…read more Radiofrequency Ablation for Back Pain Reviews: Is It a Good Idea?
On this page: What is radiofrequency ablation (RFA)? What are the pros and cons of RFA? Does radiofrequency ablation treat back pain? Radiofrequency has recently resurfaced in the medical news, but are there any reliable radiofrequency ablation for back pain reviews? Many years ago, I learned how to use radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The good news…read more Suicide in Chronic Pain Patients
A few months ago, a special patient of mine decided that the pain in her body and life was too much and she ended her life. After taking care of patients with chronic pain of one type of another for more than 30 years, like many physicians who care for these patients, I have seen…read more A Shoulder Stem Cell Procedure 6 Year Follow-up
One of the benefits of being the first physician in the U.S. to use stem cell injections to help orthopedic patients is that every once in a while, an old patient will come back. While we track everyone in a registry, it’s not the same as a patient sitting in front of you telling you…read more Stem Cells Help Patient with Severe TMJ Issues Chew Again
Valerie had suffered from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues since the age of 16. In 2014, at the age of 60, she fell and crushed the upper and lower part of the vertebrae at her second lumbar disc. Ten days later, she yawned and completely dislocated her jaw. For 18 months, she was unable to chew…read more Narcotics Cause Chronic Pain: No Surprises Here…
We are in the middle of an epidemic of deaths due to narcotics fueled by pharma. It’s become vogue again for the media to discuss this issue, since the death of Prince, but the problem has always been there. Now a new study out of my neck of the woods (University of Colorado) shows why…read more 