MDNews - North Alabama

COVER FEATURE MANY PATIENTS DEALING WITH CHRONIC PAIN, SURGICAL RECOVERY, NERVE INJURY OR CANCER SEEK RELIEF THROUGH PAIN MEDICATIONS ALONE. WHILE THIS APPROACH North Alabama's Pain Specialists: Innovative Treatments Equal Pain Relief MAY PROVIDE SOME RELIEF, IT IS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TO USE MEDICATIONS AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT PLAN. THE PAIN-MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY PAIN CONSULTANTS TREAT ALL TYPES OF PAIN FROM NEW ONSET SPINE PAIN SYNDROMES TO CHRONIC PAIN. P AIN-MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS MONITOR and manage the use of medications, diagnose root causes of pain and develop a customized pain-management plan. This plan often includes interventional procedures and physical therapy in order to improve function and quality of life. Oftentimes, pain can be reduced to the point where patients who had been considering surgery will feel well enough to avoid it altogether. "If patients are not getting relief from pain medications alone, a pain-manage- ment specialist should be consulted as soon as possible to determine the best course of treatment," says Ronald L. Collins, M.D., DAAPM, anesthesiologist and pain-management physician with Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants. "We are available to consult with physicians to determine appropriate pain-management 8 | North Alabama MD NEWS ■ MDNEWS.COM treatment plans and help patients with underlying causes of chronic pain." Adding Resources for Results Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants utilizes the cutting-edge technology of Huntsville Hospital Center for Pain Management. Patients can benefit from physical therapy, an in-house pharmacy, psychological support and a dedicated staff, all located in a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. "Our relationship with the hospital allows us access to sophisticated technol- ogy necessary to perform advanced pain procedures," explains Morris L. Scherlis, M.D., DAAPM, anesthesiologist and pain- management physician with Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants. "Treatment in a full-service center results in excellent patient care and convenient access to any individual needs that may arise." THE PHYSICIANS AT TENNESSEE VALLEY PAIN CONSULTANTS ARE AVAILABLE TO TREAT: + Back pain + Cancer pain + Complex regional pain syndrome/RSD + Discogenic and radiculopathy pain + Facet pain + Neck pain + Neuropathic pain + Pre- and postsurgical pain + Shingles The highly trained physicians are experts at treating many different types of pain, including new onset back and nerve pain syndromes, chronic pain, and pain that sometimes follows spine surgery. The fact that all of the physicians at Tennessee

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