Chronic Pain Specialist
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CoreSmart
Interventional Pain Medicine & Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation located in Boca Raton, FL & West Palm Beach, FL
Chronic pain is a common condition that affects about 25% of adults. If you experience chronic pain and it keeps you from work, exercise, or activities you love, interventional pain management can help. At CoreSmart, double board-certified interventional pain management physician Jarrod Friedman, MD, and Betsy Gottlieb, NP-C, offer various treatments for chronic pain, including PRP and spinal cord stimulation. To make an appointment in Boca Raton or West Palm Beach, Florida, call our office at 561-923-9599 or visit us online today.
Chronic Pain Q&A
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain refers to musculoskeletal discomfort that lasts for longer than three months. For some people, symptoms occur daily; but they come and go for others.
Chronic pain doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, like ice or rest. It worsens over time, increasing your risk of other issues like depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. If you’re tired of living with chronic pain, contact Dr. Friedman at CoreSmart.
What conditions cause chronic pain?
At CoreSmart, Dr. Friedman treats various conditions that cause chronic pain, including:
- Arthritis
- Sports injuries
- Work injuries
- Personal injuries
- Auto accident injuries
- Migraines and headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
The above list is not exhaustive; it’s a sample of pain inducing diagnoses treated at CoreSmart. You may benefit from treatment if you have other conditions that are not listed above.
What does chronic pain feel like?
Everyone experiences chronic pain differently. Symptoms vary depending on the underlying cause and location. For example, you might experience pain that’s:
- Stinging
- Aching
- Burning
- Shooting
- Throbbing
As your symptoms get worse, they might also affect other parts of your life, like your mood, outlook, or ability to get a good night’s sleep.
What steps does Dr. Friedman take to evaluate your chronic pain?
At CoreSmart, Dr. Friedman diagnoses chronic pain by reviewing your medical records and asking about your symptoms, including where the pain occurs, how severe it is on a scale of 0-10, and if certain activities make it better or worse.
He may also ask how long you have been experiencing the pain and how the pain began.
After determining the cause of your pain, Dr. Friedman develops a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs, relieves inflammation, and encourages your body’s healing process.
Dr. Friedman is conservative in his approach and has his patients’ best interests in mind.
How is chronic pain treated?
At CoreSmart, treatment of chronic pain depends on several factors, including your age, the severity of your symptoms, and their impact on your daily life. Usually, Dr. Friedman recommends conservative treatments or minimally invasive techniques, like:
- Pain medication
- Corticosteroid injections
- Muscle relaxers
- Medical marijuana
- Nerve blocks
- Epidural steroid injections
- Physical therapy
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
- Percutaneous discectomy
- Annuloplasty or Nucleoplasty
If these treatments don’t provide lasting relief, Dr. Friedman might recommend a medical device, like a spinal cord stimulator.
A spinal cord stimulator is an implantable device that uses low levels of electricity to alter your perception of pain.
To receive treatment for chronic pain, make an appointment at CoreSmart by calling the office at 561-923-9599 or visiting us online today.
