Your Pain Care Plan to Occupational Pain Management
By Advanced Pain Care Here in Texas, there are a lot of industries and occupations where work/life balance conflicts because of occupational pain. Many people work on their feet all day and don't know that even standing the wrong way could make them more prone to having pain interact with their ability to work. At APC, we have a variety of Occupational Pain Management solutions for these issues, but we first have to identify how each unique patient will interact with certain pain care plans. Firstly, a quick definition: Occupational Pain Management is the treatment of pain that arises from tasks you
Advanced Pain Care: Before, During, and After the Storm
By Chelsea Simon President’s Day weekend was just supposed to be a four-day weekend. But when the President's Day storm started knocking on the door, it was going to take a little longer to get back to “normal…” The problems from the storm went beyond the lack of transportation. We’d been doing that since March of last year, and had gotten quite accustomed to limited social interaction. It was the lack of power and clean water which affected our patients, our doctors, and our facilities, as well as millions of people around the state. Though we got pretty lucky in the grand scheme
The Medicine Cabinet: Side-Effects, Expired Medicine and Beyond
By Dr. Matt Sage, Pharm D Expired medicine, side effects, effectiveness and more: your medicine cabinet may be packed full-- but is it with the right stuff? When it comes to your health, you'll always want to be prepared (especially in these unprecedented times). Having your medicine cabinet stocked with the basics will keep you from a last-minute rush to the drug store and will allow you to be ready for the expected (and non-expected) speed bumps that life might throw at you. A quick disclaimer: nobody should have anything in their medicine cabinets that they’re allergic to or that is contraindicated to
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Everything You Need to Know
Dr. Samuel Pegram Rheumatoid Arthritis, might not be the most common arthritic conditions, it is most certainly one to be aware of. Contrary to initial thought, it’s actually an auto-immune disease that, if not addressed early, can cause long-term damage on the bones. It can start with minor discomfort in small joints, and when more severe, can aggravate the internal organs. What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis? There are several answers, and none of them have been totally confirmed. Like most auto-immune diseases, there’s a genetic component and then there’s an outside factor. We do know that patients with Rheumatoid have abnormalities on the short arm
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 Advanced Pain Care 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