Treat your pain and live a better life…

best-pain-doctor-nycWelcome to my blog about pain. Unfortunately, many people suffer from chronic pain. As a board certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation, my specialty is treating these people with both acute and chronic pain.

A majority of my practice is working with patients that are experiencing back and neck pain.

My goal with this blog is to help patients who are experiencing any type of back or neck pain to understand what is causing their pain and discuss options that are available to end their pain. I hope to be able to provide readers with a portal that they can can use to educate themselves and facilitate treatment.

My specialty is my Interventional Spine Skills including cervical and lumbar epidural steroid injections, facet injections, medial branch blocks, Radiofrequency ablation, sympathetic ganglion blocks, spinal cord stimulator trials, sacroiliac joint injection, piriformis muscle block and musculoskeletal joint injection. I also perform many other procedures to alleviate acute and chronic pain.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it and observing people from all over the world reading it.

– Matthew Grimm, M.D.

What is Cortisone, and How Does It Reduce Pain?

How does the steroid cortisone reduce pain? If you have inflamed joints, you will experience difficulties and hurdles in your day-to-day activities. Life gets less enjoyable, and your movement becomes limited when you struggle with conditions and health disorders that increase the chances of or worsen joint inflammation.

What is cortisone and how does it reduce pain?
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In such cases, Cortisone shots are effective in relieving the pain that comes with joint inflammation. It is a safe and inexpensive method of treatment. While your pain doctor will advise the best treatments for your condition, learning about cortisone shots and how they reduce pain can help make informed decisions.

What is Cortisone?

Cortisone is the synthetic version of cortisol. The natural version is a chemical that the adrenal gland in your brain produces. It is a steroid that is active in the bloodstream and responds against stress. Cortisone is available in different potencies that are more powerful than cortisol and help suppress various negative psychosomatic, physiological, and psychological pain symptoms. You shouldn’t confuse cortisone or cortisol with anabolic steroids such as testosterone. Cortisone (and cortisol) is an anti-inflammatory steroid that helps reduce irritation and inflammation in various parts of the body and affects the immune system.

Are Cortisone Shots the Best Option?

Normally, cortisone is available as oral medication and injection. Still, doctors consider injections to be more effective since they directly apply to the affected region in case of joint or tendonitis inflammations. On the other hand, medicine for oral use containing cortisone takes time to affect the inflamed region as it first dilutes and enters the bloodstream.

What’s the Use of Cortisone?

Cortisone shots offer only short-term relief and solutions. Besides, you should discuss the use with your pain doctor. Here are some of the reasons why your pain doctor may advise administering cortisone shots.

  • Pain relief (short period effect)
  • Arthritis flare-up treatment
  • Detecting pain source through administration of cortisone shots on the joint pain
  • Postponing joint surgery and relieving pain from elderly arthritis

How Does it Reduce Pain?

Doctors inject the cortisone shots directly onto the inflammation site. Often, patients confuse cortisone with pain-relieving medication due to its pain-reducing properties. Remember, there are reasons why you should abstain from the use of cortisone shots, such as when pain persists or worsens. Cortisone helps in shutting down cells that produce collagen in the joint or tendon. By restricting the production of collagen, cortisone calms the nerves and reduces inflammation. Although cortisone reduces swelling, indirectly regulates pain, and reduces inflammation, it doesn’t heal the inflammation or the trigger that led to inflammation.

It starts affecting the body soon after the injection, yet the pain relief duration varies from patient to patient. While some people may report immediate pain relief, others experience a gradual reduction in pain, like weeks or a few days. Due to a chronic condition and severe stage, the pain relief might not be as effective using cortisone.

The cortisone shots may flare up the inflammation and thus pain during the 48 hours following the injection. However, the pain eventually reduces, whereas the overall effect can potentially last up to a couple of months.

What Happens During a Cortisone Shot?

Once you wear a medical gown, your doctor will suggest a suitable position for you to stay in to insert the needle into the affected area. Initially, the injection site requires proper cleaning to prevent any complications. After an anesthetic spray for numbing the injection site, your doctor will insert the needle. They may use fluoroscopy (X-Ray) or ultrasound to see the progress of the needle as it moves into the body and sets onto the right spot. In case the pressure converts into extreme discomfort, you should promptly inform your doctor.

Best cortisone reduce pain NYC
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After the needle reaches the right spot, your doctor will release the medication. The shots include corticosteroids to help in reducing inflammation and pain. Meanwhile, you may receive an anesthetic for immediate relief.

Following the Cortisone Shot

It is possible to experience redness on your chest or face after your doctor administers a cortisone shot. In the case of diabetes, you may experience a minor and temporary spike in blood sugar levels.

Here’s what your doctor will instruct you to do after the shot:

  • Avoid pressuring or touching the body part where they inserted the needle
  • Shower but avoid hot tub, bathtub, whirlpool, etc.
  • Use ice on the injection site for numbing the pain (avoid heating pads)
  • Inform your doctor if you notice any signs of infections, redness, swelling, etc., that last after 48 hours of injection

What is Cortisone, and How Does It Reduce Pain? Conclusion

Do you want to find more information regarding cortisone shots and use? Here at Spine New York City, Dr. Matthew Grimm offers the best pain management and treatment. He offers individualized attention and treats pain conditions and other disorders through a multi disciplinary approach.

Give us a call at 646-862-5555 and book an appointment with Dr. Grimm. Visit Spine New York City’s official website for any inquiries or more information.

 

Reference Links:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cortisone-shots/about/pac-20384794
https://www.arthritis-health.com/treatment/injections/what-cortisone
https://www.medicinenet.com/cortisone_injection/article.htm
https://www.verywellhealth.com/cortisone-shot-side-effects-2549714

The Relationship Between Nerves and Pain

Many know that there is an obvious connection between nerves and pain. Do you ever wonder how and why you feel pain? How does your brain process pain? How your brain differentiates between the touch of a feather and the prick of a needle? In this article, we will discuss how your nervous system responds to pain and what you should do if you experience severe pain. But, the answer to these questions is not simple. Before understanding how nerves detect pain, you should know how the nervous system functions. Below, we will explain the complete process in simple words so you have an idea about what goes on when you feel pain.

What the Nervous System Does

There are two major components of your nervous system. The first part is the brain, which receives and sends signals, and the other part is the spinal cord, which transfers signals throughout the body. Both these systems combine to form the central nervous system. On the other hand, the peripheral nervous system comprises a motor and sensory nerves. The names are pretty self-explanatory when it comes to helping people understand their roles. The brain and spinal cord are the central commanding hubs, while sensory and motor nerves reach out to different parts of the body.

Nerves and Pain Relationship | Pain Doctor NYC

In simple words, sensory nerves send impulses to the body, indicating what is happening. It uses the spinal cord to transmit impulses straight to the brain. Once the brain processes the information, it sends signals to the motor nerves to act. The entire process is similar to a complex inbox-outbox mailing system.

How Nerves Identify Pain

Suppose you stepped on a pointy rock. Your sensory nerve of the peripheral nervous system immediately shares a signal from the nerves in your feet to the brain. That way, you can identify the difference between a soft toy and a sharp rock. Furthermore, the sensory nerve fibers differentiate between different items by producing varying chemical responses. That’s how your brain recognizes different sensations. There are different types of nerves in the body. The nerves that take signals associated with a light touch are different from nerves that respond to deep pressure.

When you experience an injury or almost experienced one, it can trigger special pain receptors. These are nociceptors, and they activate when your skin breaks. Now, you may wonder why you experience pain when you step on the rock, and the skin does not rupture. In this condition, the tissues in your foot compress and trigger the receptors. When these receptors are triggered, the impulse reaches the brain through the nerve and spinal cord. This entire process takes place in a fraction of a second.

How Spinal Cord Responds to Pain?

The spinal cord is a complicated bundle of numerous nerves. Every signal passes through the spinal cord before reaching your brain. The spinal cord works as a freeway that allows the motor and sensory impulses to pass through. The spinal cord acts as a message center, and it makes basic decisions such as reflexes. A region in your spinal cord, known as the dorsal horn, works as an information hub. It sends signals to the brain, which sends back signals to the affected area. The brain doesn’t send signals to the foot to move away from the rock. The dorsal region takes care of this activity. If your brain works as the CEO of your body, your spinal cord would be middle management.

Nerves and Pain Relationship | Nerve Pain Specialist

How Does the Brain Respond to Pain?

The spinal reflex takes place in the dorsal horn, but the brain still receives the pain signals. This happens because pain requires more than simple response and stimulus. The problem won’t be solved by removing your foot from the rock. Remember, you need to heal the affected tissue as well. Therefore, when the brain receives signals from the spinal cord, it associates the situation with previous emotions stored in the brain’s library. The pain signal enters the thalamus region, which again sends signals to other areas for interpretation. The areas in the cortex determine the source of the pain. Furthermore, it compares pain with other kinds of pain and defines the intensity. Your limbic system, which is your brain’s emotional center, also receives pain signals from the thalamus. Have you ever wondered why some pain makes you cry while other doesn’t? The limbic system manages the feelings associated with every sensation and generates a response. Furthermore, it increases your heartbeat and causes sweating. All because of a single pointy, sharp rock under your foot.

Nerves and Pain: Conclusion

Your brain also categorizes different kinds of pain. Some pain is acute, so the signals of this pain subside over time. But some pain can be chronic, so it stays for a long time. Therefore, it is essential to visit a pain management doctor if the pain stays for more than two weeks.

For diagnosis and treatment of the pain, visit Dr. Matthew Grimm in NYC. Give us a call at 646-862-5555 to make an appointment.

The 4 Major Types of Pain

You may have different types of pain due to various reasons. It is somewhat important for us, an experience that acts as a defense mechanism. It becomes a problem when it starts to persist and last.

While everyone experiences some sort of physical pain or discomfort, most people do not bother getting to the cause of that pain. In most cases, it tends to diminish with time, but other times, it can develop into great severity and ruin your quality of life. Understanding the specific type of pain is crucial when it comes to treating it.

Major Types of Pain

Once you understand the difference between the different types of pain, you can better identify them, which will ultimately make the job of your physician easier. The practical and consequential causes of pain can be multiple. However, physiologically, there are four major types of pain.

4 Major Types of Pain

The four major types of pain are nociceptive Pain, inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, and dysfunctional pain. Each of these pains has different physiological tendencies and, because of that, their diagnosis, treatment, and experiences differ from each other.

Nociceptive Pain

You may begin to wonder how we feel a certain pain, such as a joint or knee injury from a sporting activity. Special nerve endings in our body are responsible for the pain to initiate. Another name for these nerve endings is Nociceptors.

These nerve endings indicate pain in response to an injury or external physical damage. Thus, the throbbing, aching, and sharp pain that you feel after collision or damage is the Nociceptive pain. Anytime a person experiences a physical injury, the Nociceptors in the body stimulate and send pain signals to the brain.

This type of pain is indicative of an injury, and you can feel it exactly in the region of damage. To activate these nerve cell endings, you have to break the threshold of activation of these nerve cells. In other words, when slight discomfort turns into severe pain, that is when the activation of the Nociceptors is most evident.

Like all the other nerves in your body, they also generate electrical signals, or “action potential,” which relays into the spine and eventually travels to the brain. However, it is not important that you feel pain after an electrical signal travels.

Instead, the upcoming signal needs to be important enough for your brain to recognize it. This type of pain, or Nociceptive pain, is vital for the human body. It warns us of a potential threat to our physiological being. Hence, it is crucial for survival.

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain occurs when there is damage to your nervous system. It may seem similar to Nociceptive pain, where certain nerves stimulate the occurrence of an injury and send signals to the brain, which interprets those signals as pain.

However, there is a difference. In Nociceptive pain, the pain occurs from external stimuli, such as an injury or damage. This is completely unlike the nature of Neuropathic pain.

In this type of pain, the receptors do not respond to external stress; instead, the pain occurs because they develop problems within themselves. It is a result of the irritable and dysfunctional behavior of nerve endings.

One of the most common Neuropathic conditions is Sciatica. In this condition, the nerves in the spine experience compression, usually by a disc. This leads them to become internally faulty and causes you to experience pain. Neuropathic pain may even be distinctive to the condition that is causing it. It has unpredictable behavior.

Inflammatory Pain

Inflammation is a chemical reaction in which our body releases certain inflammatory mediators in response to an unwanted injury or bacterial invasion. These mediators can cause two outcomes; they will result in making our blood vessels enlarge, more commonly known as “swelling.”

Secondly, the same inflammatory mediators can cause the stimulation of the Nociceptors in the injury site. This means that you will experience the same discomfort and pain that you experience in an injury. However, this type of inflammation is not long-lasting and may diminish in three to four days.

Best Doctor for Major Types of Pain NYC

Dysfunctional Pain

Dysfunctional pain occurs when a person’s pain processing system acts abnormally. This pain can occur even when there is no diagnosis of an injury or fault in a person physically. Due to the faulty pain processing centers, a person may experience a higher or lower intensity of pain.

This change in the typical nature of pain is what you can refer to as Dysfunctional pain. For example, a sports injury hurts initially; however, it can diminish over time. If that pain persists and refuses to lower in intensity, then that pain is dysfunctional.

The 4 Major Types of Pain: Conclusion

Suffering from pain is the worst thing that can happen to you regardless of its type. If you or anyone you know suffers from the excruciating pain that they want to treat, then book an appointment with Dr. Mathew Grimm, one of the best pain specialists in New York. Call now at 646-862-5555 or visit our website for more information.

Matthew Grimm, M.D.
160 E 56th St
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022

646-862-5555

Options to Reduce Severe Lower Back Pain

What are the best ways to reduce severe lower back pain? In the US, back pain is a common condition associated with physical alignment. A study suggested that eight out of ten Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Perhaps you were cleaning your home or working in the backyard and put too much pressure on your back. Maybe, you had an injury while playing football or suffer from arthritis, a chronic condition in the spine. If the back pain is severe and sudden, you need to consult a pain management doctor.

In some cases, the pain goes away with a little exercise and some stretching. But, when you combine a medical treatment along with home remedies to treat discomfort and pain, you can boost the recovery process. Do you live in New York City? You can contact Dr. Matthew Grimm, one of the best pain management specialists in NYC. Here are some options to reduce severe lower back pain at home.

Ways to Reduce Severe Lower Back Pain

1.     Muscle Movement

While in pain, you won’t feel like walking, but the first thing every pain management doctor recommends is body movement. A misconception among people with back pain is that they can no longer stay active. Therefore, you should keep up with the usual level of daily movement and activity. A thirty-minute walk around the block with your dog will be enough. In most situations, a weak spine is a reason for lower back pain. But when you move the muscles surrounding your spine, you will develop support around it, reducing pain.

2.     Stretch and Strengthen

Strong abdominal muscles can support your back, so enhancing flexibility and strength for pain relief in your lower back is a great idea. Soon after you wake up in the morning, start the day with some stretching and exercises. You can try tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga, but if these exercises are hard for you in the morning, reschedule them for later in the day. Nevertheless, warming up in the morning will keep you active throughout the day. A simple exercise you can try involves lying on the floor on your tummy while stretching your arms and legs away from the body. This exercise will strengthen the muscles around your hips and the core.

3.     Keep Good Posture

Good posture is crucial to keep your spine aligned and reduce pressure on the lower back. Do you have bad posture? This might be the reason for your back pain. Try stretchy bands, straps, or tape to maintain spine alignment. Your head should be in line with the pelvis, and don’t crane your chin or slouch your shoulders. If you work in front of a screen, you should rest your arms on the desk or table. Your eyes should align with the screen front. Make it a point to regularly stand up from your chair and stretch.

4.     Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excessive weight can also be a reason for lower back pain. You can shed extra pounds to reduce the pain in your lower back. Weight loss reduces the mechanical force acting on your lower back and spine. Consult with a pain management doctor, and they can guide you as to the best techniques to reduce pressure in your lower back. Also, they suggest the best exercises and diet reduce weight.

5.     Try Ice and Heat

You can try more than one technique to boost your recovery from back pain. You should choose the methods that work for you and build a routine. One technique that gives instant relief from back pain is heat and ice therapy. You can either try one or both, but this remedy is quite helpful for many patients. This treatment is highly recommended to ease inflammation or swelling. If you have tight or stiff muscles, apply a heating pad for quick relief. Experts suggest that you should use this treatment for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Moreover, you should avoid this method if you already use an ointment or muscle-ache creams.

6.     Know Your OTC Medications

You can relieve muscle stiffness and aches using non-prescription pain relievers. The two major OTC medications are acetaminophen and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. NSAIDs are essential to lower inflammation, reducing tenderness and swelling. However, acetaminophen is not helpful for inflammation. If you have occasional back pain, both medications can be effective. But for severe pain, NSAIDs are better, especially when you have an inflammatory condition such as arthritis.

7.     Nerve Stimulation

Researchers today are studying treatments that reduce chronic back pain by stimulating nerves. If all the above medications and therapies aren’t effective, a pain management doctor might include acupuncture in your treatment plan. They might also suggest transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS. In this procedure, the doctor will block the incoming pain signals through mild electric pulses on the nerves.

Reduce Severe Lower Back Pain: Conclusion

Chronic back pain can be hard to tolerate, and in extreme conditions, it may also affect your quality of life. Therefore, you need a good pain management doctor who can diagnose your chronic pain condition and suggest the best treatment plan. Visit Dr. Mathew Grimm, one of the best pain management doctors in New York City, for a solution. He will share personalized, customized, and innovative pain relief treatments suitable for you.

For further information and to schedule an appointment, give us a call at 646-862-5555.

Injection Alternatives for Chronic Pain Management

Chronic Pain Management Doctor NYC

What are options other than injections for chronic pain management? Pain indicates that something is not right with your body. While the pain can be acute or chronic, we will be focusing on the physical pain that can arise due to a number of reasons and disturb your life. There are various forms of pain, but there are two major types. Acute pain can last for as long as a few weeks (usually 2-3) and then often resolves on its own.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, can last up to 12 weeks or three months, and some people may experience chronic pain for up to 6 months as well. This implies how important it is to take note of the slightest symptoms that you may see.

Understanding Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is usually ongoing and can last more than six months in serious cases. Chronic pain can persist even after its main cause heals and goes away. This means that the nervous system struggles with active pain signals that can remain for weeks, months, or even years. It can also occur devoid of any past medical conditions or apparent body injuries and damage. Some of the causes of chronic pain include:

  • Back pain
  • Nerve pain
  • Arthritis
  • Headache
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Cancer

Some of these conditions can be devastating to your lifestyle and may result in lethargy, appetite loss, muscle aches, movement limitations, and more. Moreover, certain physiological and psychological effects may occur due to the persistence of chronic pain. You may experience anger, anxiety, depression, or fear of injuries.

About Injection Alternatives for Chronic Pain Management

Dr for Chronic Pain Management

In the case of chronic pain conditions, there is an extensive range of treatment options that you can explore with your pain physician to maximize your recovery and regain control over your nervous system. You can go for injections that deliver various antibodies and chemicals ranging from steroids to salt and sterile solutions and treat a variety of pain areas on the body.

Nevertheless, if you want to engage in non-invasive treatment options, you may go for a number of other methods. While some offer major pain relief, others work well with different treatment options in a pain management program. Here are some of the injection alternatives that we have compiled for you.

Different Forms of Supplements and Vitamins

Pain doctors have been prescribing dietary supplements for a long time. They believe that the natural healing properties of certain supplements and the effect of healthy synthetic supplements can help deliver pain relief. Some of the most popular dietary supplements include glucosamine, fish oil, topical capsaicin, and more. However, the use of supplements and vitamins will depend mainly on the cause of chronic pain.

You have to be extremely careful and rely on the intake of certain supplements to prevent the risk of contracting health conditions other than those that you already have.

Regular Exercise

Exercise is a natural remedy against multiple health problems. Exercise maintains cardiovascular healthy by improving blood circulation. When you perform different forms of physical exercise and activities, different parts of your body engage in motion and tension. Exercise naturally improves the mood since your body experiences a boost in energy. Your pain doctor may suggest regular or periodic exercises to maintain your health. Make sure that you consult your doctor to learn which exercises you can avoid or perform depending on your medical conditions and history.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional treatment method that aims to heal blocked nerves and more. Although it is not as popular as before, some pain doctors recommend acupuncture as a component of a complete pain management program. The use of needles helps in releasing the accumulated chemicals in blocked nerves and other parts of the body.

Various Forms of Therapies

Opting for therapies doesn’t imply that your pain isn’t real. In fact, therapies often help you behave against your pain symptoms and conditions. You may feel anger, anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, and other negative psychological effects due to chronic pain. Therapies aim to evaluate your thought process, the response against pain, and ways that you seek to relieve the symptoms. Talk therapy, CBT, and other forms of therapies may be effective considering the severity and effect of chronic pain on your health.

Injection Alternatives for Chronic Pain Management: Conclusion

Matthew Grimm, MD, at Spine New York City, is one of the top board-certified pain physicians helping patients with all their pain conditions and problems. He has the experience of treating an extensive array of chronic pain conditions alongside acute pain symptoms. Using a multi-disciplinary approach and engaging with the patient in the most empathetic way, Dr. Grimm ensures effective treatment.

Pain management and treatment is a growing field with major breakthroughs now and then. Dr. Grimm remains updated and continues to learn the advanced treatments and procedures. He uses spinal intervention techniques to deliver pain relief in cases of chronic pain in conjunction with other forms of treatment methods.

Call us at 646-862-5555 today to set an appointment or check our official website to learn more.

Matthew Grimm, M.D.
160 E 56th St
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022

646-862-5555

 

References:

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/chronic-pain-syndrome-overview
https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/injections-that-could-ease-your-joint-pain/
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.dcmsonline.org/resource/resmgr/files/e-news/2019/hb451-pamphlet-6-28-19.pdf

Chronic Knee Pain: Causes and Treatment Options

In the US, chronic knee pain is a common condition, with people suffering from it due to numerous causes and reasons. Severe pain and inflammation during this condition make it difficult for patients to function and walk normally. People also find difficulty in performing everyday tasks. Because the knee joint has a complex structure, many factors implicate chronic knee pain. Usually, people experience knee pain and inflammation because their knee stops functioning properly. The problems arise due to medical conditions and trauma. This article includes some common causes and treatment plans for knee pain. Read this article and seek knee pain relief.

Chronic Knee Pain
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Causes of Knee Pain

Temporary knee pain and chronic knee pain are two different conditions with different causes. People develop temporary knee pain due to accidents or injury. Once you recover from the injury, temporary knee pain will go away. But, chronic knee pain requires proper treatment, which will depend on the cause. Therefore, it is essential to learn about the cause of the pain. A pain management doctor diagnoses the affected knee and identifies the actual cause of the pain. Here are some causes of chronic knee pain:

  • Bursitis is inflammation of the knee due to overly used muscles. You may also develop this condition after an injury.
  • Tendinitis affects the front part of your knee. The pain grows worse when you climb up the stairs or walk up an inclined plane.
  • Osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs due to deterioration and degeneration of the joints, which causes inflammation.
  • You develop gout arthritis because of uric acid buildup.
  • Knee cap dislocation is another common cause of chronic knee pain.
  • Chondromalacia patella indicates that you have damaged cartilage under the kneecap.
  • Baker’s cyst also causes severe pain. This is a condition in which synovial fluid builds up behind the knee.
  • Meniscus tear is a rupture in knee cartilage.

Here are some factors that may increase the severity of pain:

  • Sprains and strains
  • Infection
  • Overuse
  • Bad posture
  • Improper muscle stretching
  • Injury affecting knee structure.

Treatment for Knee Pain

As we discussed above, you may develop chronic knee pain due to numerous reasons. Treating the cause of the pain eventually reduces the chronic pain. Here are a few effective treatment plans for chronic knee pain:

Medications

When you visit a pain management doctor, they will prescribe pain-relieving medications. For instance, if you develop knee pain because of gout or rheumatoid arthritis, complete recovery is possible with prescribed medication.

Therapy

Most doctors recommend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles. When the muscles around the knee are strong, they keep your knee joint stable. Furthermore, a pain management doctor may also suggest strengthening exercises to alleviate the pain. Participating in sports and other activities may also shift pressure away from your knee.

Injections

If medication and therapy don’t work, your doctor may inject medication directly into the knee joint. Here are some examples of substances that a pain management doctor may inject:

  1. Corticosteroids

Corticosteroid injections reduce the symptoms of arthritis flare-ups. These injections are meant to offer instant relief from pain.

  1. Hyaluronic Acid

Hydraulic acid works as a lubricant and eases pain, and improves mobility. Hyaluronic acid is a thick fluid and lubricates joints. Sometimes, a single dose is enough to provide relief, but it’s common for patients to require more doses. Consequently, the treatment process can last up to six months.

  1. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

PRP includes various factors or components that promote healing and reduce inflammation. According to various studies, PRP is helpful for osteoarthritis patients.

Chronic Knee Pain Doctor New York
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Surgery

When it comes to surgery, you shouldn’t make an uninformed decision. Consult with a professional pain management doctor such as Dr. Matthew Grimm in New York City. He can help you choose the best treatment methods with a high success rate. Here are a few surgical reconstruction procedures to reduce chronic knee pain:

  1. Arthroscopic Surgery

In this surgical method, doctors use a fiber-optic camera to evaluate the internal condition of the damaged joint. The doctor makes few incisions around the knee to insert the tool. Arthroscopy removes loose bodies from the joint. Furthermore, it helps with ligament reconstruction and damaged cartilage.

  1. Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

As the name suggests, partial knee replacement surgery involves removing the damaged part of the knee. After removing the portion of your knee, the surgeon will place insert a plastic or metal part to improve mobility.

  1. Total Knee Replacement

In this process, the doctor removes damaged cartilage and bone from your kneecap, shinbone, and thighbone and places an artificial joint instead. The material of artificial joints may vary from polymers, high-grade plastics to metal alloys.

Chronic Knee Pain: Conclusion

Do you want to consult professional pain management in NYC for the best treatment? If so, contact Dr. Matthew Grimm and make an appointment. Upon your visit, Dr. Grimm will diagnose your knee to identify the actual cause of chronic knee pain. Then, he will recommend a suitable treatment plan depending on your condition.

To consult with one of NYC’s best pain management experts, give us a call at 646-862-5555.

Understanding Chronic Pain

Different factors affect our understanding of chronic pain. Aches and pains are common causes of discomfort. But pain is also a form of alert that indicates something is wrong with our body through the nervous system. When the pain signals from the nerves in our body reach the brain, that’s when we experience discomfort. The main passage of pain is through your spinal cord. Therefore, with chronic pain, your spinal cord may be flushing with pain signals from any part of your body that may not necessarily show a noticeable underlying medical condition.

Understanding Chronic Pain
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Understanding Chronic Pain

Chronic pain usually lasts up to 12 weeks and may persist for six months or longer. Chronic pain can come in various forms, such as stabbing, shooting, throbbing, pulsating, and others. Chronic pain can occur without any apparent or noticeable cause. While chronic pain is persistent and lasts longer than other types of pain, it can be intermittent and irregular.

Sources of chronic pain can include:

  • Arthritis pain
  • Cancer pain
  • Headaches
  • Lower back pain
  • Post-surgical pain
  • Neurogenic pain (nerve damage)
  • Post-trauma pain
  • Psychogenic pain

When you hurt yourself during a heavy task, fall in an accident, or receive minor injuries, you experience “acute pain”. It generally lasts no more than a few weeks and recovers easily. Once the body heals from the injury, damage, or a certain condition, acute pain resolves. However, when it persists and keeps becomes severe, it is important to see your primary healthcare doctor or a pain physician.

Possible Causes of Chronic Pain in the Body

Sometimes chronic pain can occur in different parts of the body without an apparent cause. Other times, patients might have a long-lasting and ongoing medical condition such as osteoarthritis, other forms of arthritis, or cancer that produce constant pain. Any injuries can leave your body susceptible to pain due to high sensitivity. It is worth noting that you may not fully recover from pain trigger points that arise due to high sensitivity even after the injury recovers. Minute problems such as infections, sprains, and broken bones can also give you chronic pain.

On the other hand, you may not have any form of physical complication at all. Psychogenic or psychosomatic pain can result in chronic pain as well. For instance, anger, anxiety, depression, stress, and other types of negative psychological factors. Overall, scientists and doctors believe that the low presence of endorphin in the blood can lead to the development of negative feelings and cause psychogenic pain.

Other Causes

When someone suffers from a sprain or muscle injury, they may experience chronic pain. When nerves suffer irreparable damage, you can experience chronic pain at some point. This means that you should always stay in touch with your doctor to find treatment options in prompt care of any symptoms that you may notice. Chronic pain can occur due to severe underlying medication conditions, a serious injury, previous surgeries, or without any obvious cause.

Here’s a list of some more causes that relate to chronic pain:

  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Endometriosis
  • Vulvodynia
  • TMJ Disorder

Treatment Options for Chronic Pain

Today, there are pain management and rehab programs that incorporate different forms of treatment options. Firstly, your pain doctor will determine which treatment option is best for you, depending on the underlying cause of chronic pain. If it’s due to any disease or serious condition, you will have to consult and get advice on which treatments to undertake. Altogether, chronic pain treatments aim to improve your life’s quality- socially, physically, and emotionally.

Understanding Chronic Pain
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Medicinal Chronic Pain Management

Medicine management involves the use of over-the-counter medicines, which include NSAIDs, acetaminophen, or aspirin. These medicines may not be effective or offer short lived pain relief. Furthermore, your pain doctor may prescribe certain medications and drug courses that will offer relief. While they may offer greater relief from chronic pain, only a certified pain doctor can prescribe them under their discretion.

Moreover, when severe pain starts having psychosomatic and psychological effects, pain doctors prescribe antidepressants. It helps in controlling the production of certain brain chemicals that boost negative feelings and increase pain sensations.

Other Treatment Options

  • Massages
  • Occupational Therapies
  • Regular Exercise/Physical Therapy
  • Electrical Stimulation Treatments (TENS Therapy, Bioelectric Treatment, and more)
  • Biofeedback
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Surgery (Injections and Implants)
  • Acupuncture

Understanding Chronic Pain: Conclusion

Do you wish to receive maximum care to relieve chronic pain? Visit Spine New York City to get the best pain management and treatment services. Matthew Grimm M.D. is a top NYC pain physician with board certification in Interventional Pain Management and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Call us for a consultation today. Receiving early treatment for chronic pain symptoms can help you recovery more quickly.

Matthew Grimm, M.D.
160 E 56th St
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022
646-862-5555

Visit our official website for more info.

 

Reference Links:

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/understanding-pain-management-chronic-pain
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/brain-nerves-and-spinal-cord/chronic-pain
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Chronic-Pain-Information-Page
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/chronic-pain/chronic-pain-a-disease-why-does-it-still-hurt

What Training Does A Pain Management Doctor Have?

A pain management doctor or specialist evaluates, examines, and treats different types of pain. A pain management doctor treats sudden and long-lasting pain. Sudden pain includes headache, while chronic pain, such as lower back pain, falls under long-lasting pain. Pain management doctors can relieve different types of pain conditions, allowing patients to go home the same day. Pain management doctors understand the mechanisms behind different types of pain. They suggest medications, plan therapies, and perform surgeries to treat painful conditions.

Pain Management Doctor NYC
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Different Types of Pain Management Treatment

Pain management specialists help patients with pain that falls under three major groups. When you develop tissue injury pain, such as in arthritis, you can visit a pain management doctor. They can also help you with conditions affecting the nervous system, as well as the pain related to these conditions, such as stroke. The third and last type of pain is associated with nerve and tissue injury, such as back pain.

1.     Disorders Related to Tissue Pain

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis related to autoimmune system in tiny joints such as wrists and fingers)
  • Osteoarthritis (arthritis related to wear and tear in the large joints such as hips and knees)

2.     Disorders Related to Nerve Pain

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Stroke (post-stroke pain)
  • Neuropathy (nerve pain due to diabetes and HIV)
  • Spinal cord injury

3.     Mixed Pain Disorders

  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Cancer

Education and Training of a Pain Management Doctor

Pain management doctors receive nine years of medical education and training. First, they gather basic knowledge from a medical school. Then, they gain four years of hands-on training in different fields such as anesthesiology, neurology, rehabilitation, and physical medicine. At last, they receive an additional one year of training that focuses on treating pain. Once they complete this one-year pain management course, they receive certification from the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Best Pain Management Doctor NYC
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A Diverse Treatment Approach

When a patient visits the general doctor for treatment, they start off with primary care. Patients receive pain medications and physical therapy, depending on the diagnosis. However, when a general doctor notices the complication of the pain, they recommend consulting with a pain management doctor. As pain management doctors have a higher degree in treating pain, they carefully examine the patient and suggest a suitable treatment plan.

  1. Upon visit, the doctor prescribes medications such as muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory medicine, and anti-depressants. Furthermore, they also inject a numbing solution in the affected area to reduce pain. These solutions include spinal injections or nerve blocks. The doctor may use Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators or TENS to generate electric impulses on the nerves.
  2. When the doctor doesn’t notice any effective results from the first line of defense, they move to the second. In this group, the doctor will perform advanced procedures such as viscosupplementation or radiofrequency ablation. During RFA, the doctor introduces chemicals and heat agents to block the pain signals. This technique is effective in chronic conditions, such as arthritis of the spine. On the other hand, viscosupplementation is a lubricating fluid that the doctor injects into joints. If you experience any unusual pain in the body, you can consult with Dr. Matthew Grimm, one of the best pain management doctors in NYC.
  3. The third line of treatment includes implants with a spinal cord stimulator or a pain pump. These treatments relieve different types of pain, such as spinal pain. When the cushion or cervical disk between your spinal bones degenerates, the doctor will implant a synthetic disc for flexibility and reducing pain.

Find a Qualified Pain Management Doctor

While searching for a pain management doctor, you need to ensure that the doctor has a board certificate in pain management. The board includes the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Boards of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or the American Board of Anesthesiology. If your state doesn’t require board certification, you need to check if the physician has appropriate training in the field of pain management. Also, ensure that they have published peer-reviewed research in the field. These factors can identify if a pain management doctor is reputable, qualified, and credible to treat conditions related to pain.

Pain Management Doctor: Conclusion

If you are looking for a pain management specialist in New York City, consult with Dr. Matthew Grimm. Dr. Grimm is highly trained in managing acute and chronic conditions.

Call for an appointment or consultation at 646-862-5555.

What Makes a Good Pain Doctor?

What qualities, education and experience makes a good pain doctor? You may experience pain in the body due to various reasons. It can be acute or chronic or a symptom of some underlying medical condition. No matter the reason, it can cause discomfort and may interfere with your daily life. Therefore, pain management doctors and specialists help treat problems such as sudden pain, pain-induced headaches, chronic pain, acute pain, lower back pain (a form of chronic pain), etc. They are knowledgeable and have experience in treating various pain symptoms and conditions. These symptoms often reveal an underlying medical condition that requires special care. Pain doctors offer plans that comprise medicine, surgical (injections), therapeutic, and other types of treatment.

What Makes a Good Pain Doctor?
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What Kind of Pain Does a Pain Doctor Treat?

There are three distinct groups of pain that pain doctors specialize in. This means that finding the right pain doctor for any following pain conditions and disorders is important.

  • Nervous System Pain Disorders such as spinal cord injuries, neuropathy, stroke, multiple sclerosis
  • Tissue Injuries Pain Disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and more
  • Mixed Pain Disorders such as back pain, neck pain, cancer, and more

Skills and Qualities of a Good Pain Doctor

Since you can experience pain due to various conditions, disorders, and issues, it is imperative that you only get in touch with the right doctor to receive specialized care. We have outlined the main qualities to look for in a good pain doctor.

Empathic Approach and Interaction

Being efficient is not enough when it comes to a good pain doctor. They should be empathetic, which is essential to providing pain management and similar treatments. They should be friendly manner beside all the professional knowledge and etiquette. Patients prefer a physician who can empathize with their condition and have friendly behavior in consulting them. Experts believe that the empathic behavior of a pain doctor can help alleviate the symptoms much faster.

An empathic pain doctor must spend extra time with you to understand and address your concerns and understand you well. A good pain doctor will be willing to go the extra mile with you, show significant support, and require honest feedback so they can help you in the best possible way.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are the foundation of every other skill set. It is a good pain doctor’s responsibility to listen to their patients with compassion and care. By listening to all the concerns of a patient, a good pain doctor offers individualized attention and care. Moreover, they inquire about your concerns, condition, and your thoughts to help you feel better than how you feel now. Maintaining eye contact, along with proper listening skills (not interrupting you), is extremely important.

Pain Management and Treatment Experience

Empathic behavior and listening skills will not help unless a pain doctor possesses relative experience in pain management and treatment. Most of the pain conditions are often in correlation which makes it difficult for an inexperienced pain doctor or a layman to detect. This makes it critical for a good pain doctor to identify the cause and develop the right treatment methods to help their patients. It is important that they have performed the same treatments and encountered the same pain problems before.

Urgent Availability and Response

A good pain doctor is readily available for their patients whenever they require. More importantly, you should never have to wait for a scheduled appointment when you are experiencing sudden symptoms and extreme discomfort without any noticeable cause. A good pain doctor can operate on an emergency basis rather than referring their patients to other doctors.

What Makes a Good Pain Doctor | New York
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Knowledge of the Latest Pain Management Treatments and Developments

Lastly, your pain doctor should have the right knowledge regarding the extensive range of pain conditions. Moreover, it is best if they stay updated on the modern and latest pain management and treatment options. The medical industry is advancing at a far higher pace than before.

Newer pain management breakthroughs are making their way into the operational and treatment field. To determine the best treatment plan for a patient, specific to their pain condition, a good pain doctor can use the latest research, treatment remedies, and guidance from multiple sources. Therefore, keeping in touch with the latest updates helps in devising the best treatment plans and using the latest resources to help patients.

What Makes a Good Pain Doctor? Conclusion

There is a broad range of pain types, conditions, disorders, and other issues that can arise due to a variety of reasons. At Spine New York City, Dr. Matthew Grimm helps his patients using a multi-disciplinary approach. He has years of experience in the pain management field and has been helping patients with multiple types of pain disorders and conditions.

If you are struggling with pain and similar problems, it is best to get in touch with the right physician. Therefore, you should contact Dr. Grimm to receive specialized care for all your acute or chronic pain conditions. He is a board-certified physician in Interventional Pain Management and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Call us to book an appointment today. You can also visit our official website to learn more.

Matthew Grimm, M.D.
160 E 56th St
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022

646-862-5555

https://spine-newyorkcity.com/

References:

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/chronic-pain/8-tips-for-choosing-a-pain-medicine-doctor
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-clinics-all-about
https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/pain-management/role-pain-management-specialist
https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/pain-management

What are My Options to Reduce Serious Pain?

What are some of the top medical options to reduce serious pain? Pain is a common condition that makes it easy to treat with a prompt response and proper diagnosis. Moreover, as people age, they become prone to pain conditions and symptoms. However, not everyone experiences it. Further, experts classify noticeable and persistent pain in two distinct types:

  • Chronic Pain usually lasts from a couple of weeks to 12 weeks and above
  • Acute pain lasts no more than a few weeks, such as 2-3. It usually gets better on its own as it is short-lived

Pain can be in all forms and effects, such as sharp, shooting, throbbing, thrashing, and more. Pain may start only on one side of the body and then move to other parts as it spreads if you do not get proper treatment.

Options to Reduce Serious Pain
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Are There Many Options to Reduce Serious Pain?

There are multiple options for treating pain conditions and disorders in people of all ages. However, it is important to pay attention to the cause of pain, which can be anything from a minor injury to a serious underlying medical condition. Treatments comprise medications, prescriptions, surgeries, therapies, and more. No single option can treat the condition completely; therefore, a pain doctor will usually use a multi-disciplinary approach. In many cases, serious pain that experts regard as “chronic pain” requires treatment through effective and special techniques. Here are some of them for your information.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a popular approach to treating a diverse range of problems that include misophonia, pain conditions, and many more. It is a form of psycho-social intervention that aims to treat the conditions through readjusting the psychological behavior and thus the response against the conditions.

It readjusts the emotional regulation and cognitive distort and develops strategies that help patients ignore the symptoms of pain conditions and carry on with their usual life with minimal disturbance. Overall, under the supervision of the right pain physician, this technique helps to control how you behave in response to pain.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Therapy

TENS Therapy is effective in many cases since it passes a low-voltage current through the body via the skin using electrodes. It generates a pain-relieving sensation and response in the body.  While there isn’t much evidence and scientific studies are still in progress, the experts believe that TENS therapy can effectively treat chronic pain.

Spinal Cord Stimulation Implants

This option includes passing low-intensity electric signals through the spinal cord or to the specific part of the body where nerve block is present. The electrical signals block the pain signals’ passage to the brain. Since the spinal cord is the main focus of this treatment, it is suitable for chronic limb or back pain.

Trigger Joint Injections

Injections are effective in treating pain conditions and controlling the passage of pain signals to the brain. Knots can form in the muscles when they don’t relax, while there are multiple trigger points in the body, mostly due to problems with the nerves, which result in pain. The trigger joint injections affect the nerve blocks and specific pain areas in the body. The injection usually contains a steroid, while other times, it may also be a sterile saltwater solution to make the trigger area on the body inactive.

Your pain doctor will suggest a course of treatment through this method to make sure that you get relief. There are many other types of injections available to treat muscle and nerve chronic pain.

Bioelectric Therapy

This therapy also involves using electrical signals to block the passage of pain signals to the brain. This keeps the patient from experiencing constant pain. Bioelectric therapy induces the production of endorphins in the body. It is a chemical that our body often produces when we exercise. These chemicals effectively block the pain signals through the nerves and hinder their passage to the brain. From TMJ disorder and migraines to diabetic neuropathy and other chronic pain conditions, bioelectric therapy is useful for a wide range of chronic pain disorders and conditions.

Although this treatment option doesn’t offer total relief from pain, it can be an effective component of a complete pain management program.

Options to Reduce Serious Pain | Pain doctor NYC
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Intrathecal Drug Delivery

This procedure involves a surgeon inserting a medicine pump in a skin pocket that they make around the spinal cord. Through the pump, they insert a catheter that delivers pain medicine to the intrathecal space towards the spinal cord. The medicine or implant may involve any form of muscle relaxant or morphine to relieve the pain signals in your body.

What are My Options to Reduce Serious Pain?: Conclusion

Dr. Matthew Grimm is passionate and committed to treating patients with discomforting pain conditions. If you are struggling with any pain conditions and/or disorders, you should seek the help of Dr. Grimm at Spine New York City. After going through your previous medical history and assessing your medical conditions, he will develop a treatment plan specific to you and your pain conditions.

It is true that you cannot treat pain conditions with a single treatment method. This is where the experience of Dr. Grimm comes into play. He ensures that you get the best treatment to regulate your pain conditions and live a peaceful life. Ring us at 646-862-5555 to schedule an appointment or visit our official website for more information.

Matthew Grimm, M.D.
160 E 56th St
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022

646-862-5555

 

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/10-ways-to-ease-pain/
https://www.arthritis-health.com/blog/11-ways-relieve-pain-naturally
https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-aches
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/8-non-invasive-pain-relief-techniques-that-really-work