New Science Eliminates Chronic Pain

Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute offers Medical alternatives to surgery without the narcotics

LAKE WORTH, FL – It is estimated that one in 10 Americans is affected by chronic back pain. Many more languish from never ending neck pain or an assortment of throbbing hurt that jeopardizes their quality of life. Eight in 10 Americans, between the ages of 20 and 45, have suffered from some form of back pain.

And while there is a seemingly limitless array of temporary remedies, ranging from physical therapy and cortisone shots to anti-inflammatories, science now introduces enduring hope for people living with pain.

"We're a relatively new field. Very few people know what we're doing," says Dr. Lawrence Gorfine of Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute. Dr. Gorfine and Dr. Douglas MacLear, both Board Certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, are achieving remarkable success with highly specific injection procedures. The pioneering techniques eliminate pain at its source by isolating the nerve ending to the painful spot. The breakthrough process numbs or freezes the nerve and keeps it numb for up to a year.

"What is especially attractive about this procedure is that no narcotics are used," said Dr. MacLear. "The patient’s pain is eliminated with no need for further medication allowing the person to return to a normal level without the pain. We avoid major surgery. The patient is in and out in 2 hours."

The majority of patients suffering back and neck pain are those over 65 with degenerative changes in their spine. While that is common, the Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute does a fair amount of workers comp with young people injured on the job as well as sports injuries.

"We had one patient who had been riding a dirt bike with his son," said Dr. Gorfine. “He was up on a horizontal position and came 12 feet down. He suffered severe back pain. Off to the hospital he went where they found a fracture in a bone. A month later, he was still hurting and he arrived in my office. We found that his fractured bone had healed, but in addition to the fracture, he had injured a small joint in his spine. We ended up numbing the nerve to the joint. He’s back out on dirt bikes. The problem is back joints can get injured very easily, regardless of age. We can now fix that the pain."

Society is accustomed to having patients go to an orthopedic doctor who sends the patient to physical therapy. PT can last for a month or longer.

"It can often be a long process before we get them in," Dr. Gorfine adds. “A lot of times that’s not good for the patient. If you can get the swelling and irritation to go away, right away, you have a better chance of permanent success because chronic inflammation can destroy a joint."

It is difficult to quantify the intensity of pain. Every individual experiences pain differently and we each tolerate pain to varying degrees. However, chronic pain is a major cause of disability and absence from work. Moreover, depression, anxiety and stress are associated with chronic pain. It is estimated that 20 to 50 percent of patients with chronic pain suffer from depression and anxiety. Emotions and moods may be strongly influenced by the underlying physiology brought about by chronic or intractable pain. It is further established that untreated pain can interfere with the healing process by impacting the immune system.

Back and neck pain sufferers are not alone. The new, minimally-invasive injection procedures are also effective in pain management disciplines for spinal stenosis, shingles pain, cancer pain, spinal cord injuries, sciatica, herniated discs, post-stroke pain, neurothapies and reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD or CRPS).

About Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute:

At Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute, board-certified physicians are dedicated to stopping your pain. They specialize in performing innovative, minimally invasive techniques and procedures that eliminate pain at its source. The goal is to allow patients to return to a normal activity level - minus the pain. Helpain

Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute is located at 2290 10th Avenue North, Suite 600, Lake Worth, FL 33461, centrally located near Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Call 561-649-8770

Founders are Board Certified Specialists in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Management, Lawrence Gorfine, M.D. and Douglas MacLear, D.O.