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Probably not. An interventional pain management physician, who understands your condition and knows all the possible treatment options for your condition, should evaluate you. There are usually numerous non-surgical treatments available to alleviate your pain. |
| No. Both doctors are graduates of medical schools, and they have completed the required training and certifications. Both doctors are board-certified in pain management as several other specialty boards. Both doctors do work with chiropractors in our community. |
| Pain management physicians, also known as interventional pain physicians, diagnose and treat people who have pain in the necks, backs, and legs. |
| After medical school, the physician completes an additional training during a period called "residency." The doctor may complete a residency in anesthesiology, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or psychiatry. Afterwards, the physician completes two additional years of a specialized training in pain management. |
| There are several organizations that provide pain management certifications. The most rigorous board certification is from the ABIPP, the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians. Other certifications include becoming a Fellow of the World Institute of Pain and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM). The physician should also attain board certification in her/his in their underlying specialty. Fellowship trained doctors can also receive added qualifications in pain management via their own specialty society.
As in all specialties, pain physicians are continually taking courses to maintain the license and to learn the newest techniques and protocols. |
| Both of our physicians, Dr. Jonathan Daitch and Dr. Michael Frey, are board certified in their respective specialties: anesthesiology, physical medicine and rehabilitative medicine. |
| Yes. As of early 2010, Dr. Daitch and Dr. Frey have joined numerous worker compensation carriers to provide care for worker's comp patients. |
| Yes. Both doctors are credentialed to do FMEs since January 2010. |
| Shingles, cancer, and vertebrofractures are considered the three biggest pain emergencies. |
| We can do a procedure called a transforaminal epidural to place the medication. The medicine greatly reduces the severity of pain and usually decreases the duration of the patient's shingles outbreak. |
| Yes. The doctors can perform an interventional procedure called an intercostal block to greatly decrease the excruciating pain from rib fractures. |
| It is imperative to immediately be seen in our office as our doctors are pain management specialists. Our forte is identifying and treating acute pain (pain that just seems to occur for reason) as well as chronic pain. Ideally, patients who are treated as soon after an auto accident will not suffer the long term effects from the accident. Pain may develop immediately after an auto accident or not occur for a few days or even weeks. As medical doctors we can start the appropriate the treatment immediately and then create a specific treatment plan including physical therapy or exercise to help each patient. |
| Arm pain can be caused by bursitis, a rotator cuff tear, or an irritated nerve radiating from the neck. Minimally invasive injection procedures with the combination of physical therapy may help and can allow patient to avoid surgery. |
| Pain that just occurs one day is called "acute" pain. There are many different causes. Usually, muscle relaxers do not help relieve the pain because muscle relaxers do not reduce the inflammation. And usually, pain is caused by flammation in most cases. If you are not better within a few days, please schedule an appointment at APMSS. |
| Sciatica simply means pain running down an extremity. It is usually caused by a "pinched nerve" from a herniated disc or irritation from spinal stenosis. |
| A herniated disc simply means that the disc is "bulged out" and is irritating the back or neck nerves causing pain in the spin or an extremity. Please realize that NOT EVERY HERNIATED DISC NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED BY HAVING SURGERY! |
| Pain that goes down the leg is usually caused by a herniated disc, pinched nerve, or spinal stenosis. Other causes of leg pain may result from hip arthritis, piriformis syndrome, or sacroiliac joint pain. |
Back pain is multifactorial. Facet joint injections may be used to reduce pain from "arthritis" in the back. If the pain is not reduced or eliminated, a procedure called radiofrequency can then be offered which allows relief from pain from six months to two years of reduced pain in most patients. Other procedures to improve the quality of life for someone in chronic are epidurals and/or transforaminal epidurals for back and/or leg pain.
| Neck pain can result from many factors, also. Facet joint injections are done for "arthritis" in the neck to alleviate pain. If facet joint injections do not completely eliminate the pain, radiofrequency can also be tried. Epidurals and transforaminal epidurals are also successful in alleviating pain. |
| Vertebroplasty /kyphoplasty are procedures that stop or dramatically reduce the pain caused by spinal fractures. The procedures are done at our facility without the stress or costs of going to the hospital. The procedures are performed without general anesthesia. The success rate for acute or new fracture is 80-95% cure rate. |
You have the option of having a procedure done in a Medicare approved ambulatory surgery center under anesthesia. But you can only be scheduled if your insurance will authorize and allow the procedure to be in done in the ASC. If your carrier does not approve you to have a procedure because the ASC is not on their plan, please ask a representative to formally complain that it is not.
Park Center for Procedures has ardently tried to get on every big insurance plan in Florida! With the exception of Medicare, all the insurance companies refuse to allow the facility to be a participant! The excuse is that there are "too many surgery centers in southwest Florida."
Our retort is that Park Center for Procedures is the ONLY ASC in southwest Florida to only do pain management procedures.
It appears that insurance companies would prefer to spend more money and send you to a hospital where the cost is often more than twice as much as an ASC for the procedure!
If you are angry that insurance companies are able to make medical decisions on your behalf, please sign the petitions at our Check In desk and put in formal complaints to the management of the insurance companies! |
The new pain clinics employ doctors who are not boarded in interventional pain and often have little training. The doctors who work in this type of pain clinic see patients and prescribe medications from the pharmacy in the doctors' office. These "pain" clinics are cash only. Patients pay cash before the office visit, and pay for the drugs purchased from the office.
In contrary, when a patient becomes a patient at APMSS, the patient is thoroughly examined during the initial visit by one of the two nationally recognized pain management doctors who teach, lecture, and are board certified in numerous specialties.
Also, the APMSS Insurance Department ascertains that every new patient who has an insurance card actually does have active insurance and researches the amount of the co-pay the patient must pay at the first visit and at every follow-up visit.
Dr. Frey or Dr. Daitch may request testing to correctly diagnose the root cause of the patient’s pain problem. Often many factors synergistically cause pain. The doctors then discuss the treatment options and treatment plans to alleviate or eradicate the patient's pain. The doctors may suggest procedure options, physical therapy, visiting another physician, or even ask the patient to obtain a psychological evaluation.
The objective of every patient's treatment is to allow a patient to be functional at home, be able to work, and be a productive member of society. New patients are expected to return for follow-up visits to monitor the success of the treatment plan. APMSS does not want patients who are drug seekers. APMSS does not prescribe any of the popular street drugs. Most importantly, APMSS is NOT A WALK-IN Cliical
It is the opinion of APMSS that most of these clinics do not practice of safe medicine. The only reason that these pain clinics exists is due to a loophole in Florida law. We urge our patients to be proactive and complain to your government representatives about closing the loophole before someone you know or love dies from drugs. Sadly, at least ten people a day from drug related deaths! |
| Health care changes will impact choice of doctors and medical care options for treatment. |
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