Do you occasionally have one-sided hip pain that radiates down the outer portion of your thigh to your knee? Is your pain relieved by icing the affected side, stretching your gluteal muscles, and resting? Has your mobility and life declined due to this pain? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then read…

A few years ago, during my first year as a pain management nurse practitioner, I took care of a patient who constantly complained of chronic lower back pain. On one of her follow-up visits, she complained of a new left lower back pain that increased while standing and walking. She reported that the pain was…

Hip Labral Tear – Are you a former baseball player, a pitcher, or a power hitter? Did you have many hip and groin injuries when you played? The repetitive powerful twists of the hips and forceful movements could have taken a toll on your body. In 2013, Alex Rodriguez, aka A-Rod, underwent left hip labrum…

Have you ever eaten cheese or seafood or drank alcohol or wine, and days later you noticed abnormal painful swelling in your joints? Did the swelling occur again the next time you consumed these foods and drinks? If so, you may have gout. Please read the details below. What is Gout: ● It is a…

Have you ever fallen and tried to catch yourself? Afterwards, did you have achy pain in your affected shoulder and biceps, and stiffness in your shoulder that progressively got worse? Did you have limited movement in your shoulder when trying to raise your arm? Were you afraid to move your arm due to the increase…

Does your hip click when you walk? Does your hip feel stiff? Has the way you walk changed due to the pain in your groin and hip? If you said yes to any of these questions, then you may have Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). Read the information below to learn more. What is Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)?…

Fibromyalgia is a real condition that can be treated by a physician, general practitioner, pain management specialist, or rheumatology specialist. When I was a pain management provider, I treated many patients with fibromyalgia. Not every patient presented the same way in the clinic. Frequently, patients were dismissed from their previous provider as psychiatric patients because…

Flail Chest – Have you ever wondered how the chest is affected after being crushed by the steering wheel during a major car accident? If so, read the details below. What is a Flail Chest? ● A flail chest is a medical emergency caused by severe blunt trauma to the ribs and chest in multiple…

What is a Femoral Neck Stress Fracture? ● Femoral neck stress fractures are a common cause of hip pain for runners and military recruits due to chronic repetitive activity.● This type of fracture is uncommon in the general population. Signs and Symptoms ● Pain in the hip, groin, and front of the thigh,● Have a…

Are you regularly active, but when you stop to rest for extended periods of time, you have difficulty getting out of your chair or standing upright or rolling over to get out of bed? Is your only relief a hot shower and ibuprofen? If you answered yes or nodded your head to any of these…

It wasn’t until I began working in a pain management clinic that I met patients living with Dupuytren’s Contracture. Most of the patients were older men who performed manual labor. They received corticosteroid trigger point injections every two months. However, if the injections were no longer effective, then a referral to a hand surgeon was…

Have you ever watched a fight scene in a martial arts movie during which one opponent kicks the other in the head? Did you ever wonder what happens to the brain at that very moment? To find out, read to learn about diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) ● Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)…

When I first began my practice of pain management, I once treated a patient for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. My patient was in his mid-teens and had been suffering from CRPS since he was 12 years old. Then, he had a marble-sized cyst removed from his right posterior wrist. After his surgery, he began to…

Do you have uncontrollable diabetes? Are you experiencing an unbearable burning sensation in the soles of your feet? Do your feet feel as if they are being stabbed with pins and needles? Do your feet feel numb? Have you begun to develop foot ulcers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you…

Did you know that diaphragm injuries (diaphragmatic rupture) are a medical emergency? ● 911 should be called immediately.● Prognosis is good if managed as soon as possible.● Early death is often due to other injuries. What is the diaphragm? ● The diaphragm is the arched, flat muscular structure that divides the thorax from the abdominalcavity.●…

Concussions and Whiplash – SCREEEEECH! The sound of the tires I heard just before I was rear-ended as I waited to make a left-hand turn into a parking lot. That unnerving sound was followed by the sound of plastic shattering as my body jolted toward the windshield, and my neck snapped forcefully forward and then…

Cervical (Neck) Stiffness – Do you slouch or have poor posture while typing on your computer or phone? Do you have poor sleep posture? Do you often turn your entire body from right to left to look at something instead of turning your head? In this article, I will describe the 3 main causes of…

A few years ago, when I worked in a pain management clinic, I once cared for a patient who had chronic lower back pain with occasional numbness and right leg weakness. For treatment, he received lower back steroid injections every 3 months. Despite his lower back pain, he tried to remain as active as possible…