Patient Spotlight: Two Very Different Total Joint Replacement Surgeries
By Vernon Rerich When I learned I had to get both knees replaced, it was a daunting thought. How could I take enough time off of work to get both surgeries and fully recover? As someone who works a physically-demanding job, it seemed even more far-fetched. However, these were the circumstances I found myself in last year when my job gave me six months off to get my procedures done. It was already going to be a tight squeeze, but when the ice storm hit Texas, I lost two weeks. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to get
How We at APC Address Mental Health and Chronic Pain Together
By Robin Hendershot, LPC You might not think that a pain care clinic pays much attention to mental health, but one of the things that I love most about working here is being part of a team that knows the importance of addressing both chronic pain and mental health together. I’d estimate that 50%-70% of the clients here at Advanced Pain Care have some sort of combination of chronic pain and depression or anxiety symptoms. That’s a huge number. Let’s answer some questions about how we at Advanced Pain Care address mental health and chronic pain together. Can chronic pain come from depression or
Have Chronic Back Pain? It Might Be Sciatica
By Paul H Le, M.D. About 35% of the population over 40 will have back pain, many of which is chronic pain. There are all different types of back pain, but one of the more common ones is Sciatica. By learning more about signs and symptoms, it’ll be easier for you to get help early on so you can treat your pain easier. Read on to learn more about a common back pain that radiates all the way down to your legs and what you can do if you think you’re suffering from it. What is Sciatica? Essentially, Sciatica is radiating pain, typically down the
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
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 Orthopedics can treat it. Related: A Guide to APC’s Orthopedic Expertise Is My Shoulder Pain a Rotator Cuff Tear? There are two common types of rotator cuff tears — acute traumatic
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
Fighting Chronic Pain is a Family Affair
By: Tracy Malone I felt horrible and helpless watching my husband, Dr. Mark Malone, go through intense, chronic pain 24 hours a day. At the time, we had a new business, and we were struggling like any new business owners, and you wonder; does he just want to check out? Does he just want to not think about all of this for a little bit? Around this time, I was very worried about his health. He was rapidly losing weight, that was scary to see. We had financial worries. At one point, we were living on disability checks and credit cards. I worried about
Chronic Pain? Inversion Therapy Could Help
By: Dr. Victor Taylor Inversion therapy is a relatively inexpensive way to apply traction to the spine and helps to manage chronic spinal and radicular pain. This type of treatment can aid in the treatment of lumbar, thoracic, and even neck pain. A significant component of chronic pain is related to poor biomechanics, or loss of ideal movement. Inversion therapy can aid one important component of poor spinal biomechanics. What does that mean? Biomechanics simply refers to how our bodies move. How we walk, run, lift, sit etc. When biomechanics are off because of a problem in a joint, with a muscle or tendon
Self-Care Tips for Managing Chronic Pain at Home
Discover how you can begin managing chronic pain with easy at-home self-care tips from Advanced Pain Care’s Dr. Adam Spjute.