The Importance of Ritual in Chronic Pain
Written by Kira Gavalakis Interviewee: Robin M. Hendershot, LPC At APC, we say, “the pain stops here.” But many might not know that means even beyond the walls of the clinic. It’s clear to me that APC shows such an involvement and dedication in giving their patients the agency to manage their pain both inside and outside of the clinic walls. Below, I speak with Robin Hendershot, LPC, about how she helps manage patients’ pain beyond the office, and the importance of creating rituals when dealing with chronic pain. Firstly, are there natural ways to help alleviate pain when we’re at home? There are a lot
Meet Our Newest Doctor: Dr. Hellman, Chronic Pain Specialist
By Dr. Matthew Hellman My name is Dr. Matthew Hellman, and I am so excited to be one of APC’s newest practitioners. I specialize in interventional pain medicine, where I use a multimodal approach to help patients manage their chronic pain. Whether this is through surgical interventions or implants, opioid or non-opioid medicine, or working with physical therapists and chiropractors, I am committed to attacking my patients’ pain from all sides, to find what works for them. Although I’ve only been with Advanced Pain Care for about six weeks, I can already say that it’s one of my favorite clinic experiences I’ve
How Chronic Pain And Mood Are More Connected Than You Think
By Clayton Adams, M.D. Chronic pain can be a really frustrating condition to live with, and we want to do everything in our power to help you get some relief. We know it comes in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is almost always certain; that your chronic pain and your mood work hand-in-hand. One of the reasons I love working here at APC is because we’re a multidisciplinary pain clinic, meaning we have multiple specialties all under one roof. This means that instead of a patient coming to us, but then us having to re-route them to another clinic, most
How Movement Helps With Chronic Pain Management
By Jeffrey Higginbotham, M.D. Years ago, a study was done where scientists stripped all of the muscles off of a cadaver spine to test how much weight the human spine could really handle just with the ligaments and joints alone. How much weight did it take to break the spine? Just 10 pounds. That means that without the muscles, the spine can barely support our bodies. Knowing the importance of the muscular system shows us a bigger picture: that maintaining our muscles is one of the most important parts of ensuring that our bodies are given everything they need to give us
All About Fibromyalgia Pain
By Samuel B. Pegram, M.D. Sometimes, pain isn’t because of an injury. It’s because of your brain. Fibromyalgia pain is an interesting concept, because it’s actually a neurological issue. Years ago when doctors started learning about fibromyalgia, we weren’t aware that it was a neurological problem. Because people had pain in areas that weren’t their joints, doctors thought it was a muscular problem. And in fact, many years ago, we would actually go about biopsying some areas of tenderness, looking for inflammatory cells that weren’t actually there. Fibromyalgia was called fibritis for a while, because doctors thought it was inflammatory. But eventually, we came
Pain Treatment for Post-Traumatic Pain
By Asim S. Aijaz, M.D. There are many nerves in the body, and Post-Traumatic Pain may happen due to a multitude of reasons. A bike accident, a fall, even surgery could injure one of these nerves that could prolong your pain music longer than you ever thought. It’s important to get a proper diagnosis so you can start your pain management journey right. But first, let’s learn a little bit more about what Post-Traumatic Pain is, what causes it, and how we at APC can help treat it. What is Post-Traumatic Pain? Post-traumatic pain is any pain that lasts longer than it really should;
Your Pain Care Plan to Occupational Pain Management
By Amanda Trout, D.O. 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
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
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
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.