The APC Difference: Our Multidisciplinary Approach to Patient Care
By Dr. Mark Malone, Founder of Advanced Pain Care When you walk through the doors at Advanced Pain Care, I want you to feel happy and optimistic. Everyone at APC brings a positive attitude to their work, and we want you to feel the same way we do. I know you’re in some form of pain when you visit us. I know that’s an unpleasant experience. Feeling happy and optimistic isn’t a typical feeling for most chronic pain patients. That’s why I created Advanced Pain Care: I saw a need for comprehensive and compassionate patient care. And my own personal experience as a pain
Chronic Pain Can Occur at Any Age — How Yolanda Overcame Hers
By Advanced Pain Care Whether you’re experiencing pain for the first time — or have been managing it for years — you might be under the false impression that pain is part of your life forever. But at Advanced Pain Care, we don’t think anyone is beyond help in achieving lasting pain relief. When I met Yolanda, she was one of those patients who thought pain was just a part of life. After a car accident in 2010, she began suffering from chronic pain in her lower back and legs. That pain persisted as she tried multiple treatments over six years. So when she started
The Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Depression
By Sandra Gill, LCSW Addressing the relationship between the mind and body is an integral part of our process at Advanced Pain Care. As a practicing therapist for 20 years, I’ve supported patients from all walks of life. We know your mental health is a critical component of your well-being and that chronic pain and mental health influence each other — especially when it comes to depression. Understanding that relationship can dramatically impact your recovery from chronic pain. How Does Chronic Pain and Depression Influence Each Other? There’s a direct correlation between chronic pain and depression. If you have either chronic pain or depression, you are
Why You Don’t Need Opioids to Treat Acute and Chronic Pain
By Advanced Pain Care As a pain management doctor, I treat the whole spectrum of acute pain and chronic pain. My specialty is interventional pain management, which utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to managing your pain. This multidisciplinary specialty is what makes me a perfect fit for Advanced Pain Care — a practice dedicated to multidisciplinary collaboration in treating pain patients. At APC, I collaborate with the practitioners in neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and addiction medicine to provide a tailored pain management plan for each patient. Who Can Benefit From APC? I’m a detailed-oriented, non-judgmental person who builds a strong rapport with each patient. I build
Myth Buster: Do Painkillers Reduce Your Pain Threshold?
By Anthony Perardi, Chief Physician Assistant At APC, we take great care to be sure we’re setting our patients up for long-term pain relief with advanced pain management. Medications can be an important part of addressing chronic pain, but we know you have questions about painkillers – and for good reason. Data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that, between 2000 and 2017, prescription opioid drug users had a higher overdose mortality rate than heroin users. The overdose death rates for both those populations dropped in 2018 (though synthetic opioid overdose deaths increased). The good news is that the
Spinal Cord Stimulator: A Tried and True Pain Relief Technology
By Dr. Ryan Michaud The spinal cord stimulator may sound like a newer technology, but it’s actually been around for many years. The first documented use was in 1967. Like many technologies of that era, the spinal cord stimulator has improved dramatically over the years — even within the past three years. It continues to be a safe, effective treatment for helping patients with chronic pain syndromes. Here are some answers to your most frequently asked questions about the spinal cord stimulator. How Does the Spinal Cord Stimulator Work? The spinal cord stimulator blocks pain signals that are sent to your brain. It’s placed in
Q&A: Chronic Pain and the Spinal Cord Stimulator
By Amber Featherston, Director of Surgical Services In APC’s recent Facebook Live lunch, we had over 300 comments asking Dr. Mark Malone, Dr. Brad Culling, and Patient Ambassador Chester Jones a variety of questions about the spinal cord stimulator. (If you missed it, you can watch the full video on our YouTube channel.) With such enthusiastic participation, we couldn’t answer all of your questions in that session, so we’ve answered them below. We also encourage you to set up an appointment so we can address questions that are unique to your personal situation. If you’d like to read more about the spinal cord
Rotator Cuff Tears Could be The Reason for Your Shoulder Pain
By Advanced Pain Care When it comes to your shoulder pain, you might be suffering from a rotator cuff tear. Your shoulder joint contains tendons that connect the bones to the muscles. Rotator cuff tears are caused by torn tendons in the shoulder joint. Orthopedic surgeons can treat joint pain in your shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. If you’re experiencing pain in any of these critical areas, Advanced Pain Care can treat it. Is My Shoulder Pain a Rotator Cuff Tear? There are two common types of rotator cuff tears — acute traumatic and degenerative. An acute traumatic tear can be
Advanced Rx: A Pharmacy You Can Trust
By Matt Sage, Pharmacist in Charge Do you feel lost in a sea of customers when you’re trying to get quality service at a big chain pharmacy? I hope you’ll consider visiting us at Advanced Rx Pharmacy instead. We offer a level of personal care that keeps our customers happy they made the switch. There’s a lot to be proud of at Advanced Rx, but I’ve picked a couple of customer favorites to highlight for you. Before we dive in, you should know this: You don’t have to be an Advanced Pain Care patient to visit our pharmacy. Next time you’re running errands, stop by
Meniscus Tears: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options
By Dr. Scott Welsh Your knee has a piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion between your shinbone and your thigh bone. It’s called a meniscus. Since most of us rely on our knees to perform a variety of activities, you can imagine how easy it might be to tear your meniscus. A torn meniscus can result from any activity that involves twisting or rotating your knee — even kneeling, deep squatting, and heavy lifting. Who’s At Risk for Meniscus Tears? The most common meniscus tears happen in athletes involved in contact sports (like football) or pivoting sports (like snow skiing, basketball, soccer, and