CentraState - Healthy Directions

Fighting Back against the Pain discs, and a herniated disc in his spine. Through specialized treatments at CentraState Medical Center, John is taking steps to get back to a life without pain. S A dedicated husband and father, John says his pain had grown progressively worse in the past few years. Pressure on John's spinal cord from the two fused vertebrae created pain that started in his back and continued up to his neck. He even had trouble holding his head up at times. After undergoing spinal decompression surgery and receiving pain medicine injections, John felt relief for a short time. Unfortunately, the pain returned again after a few months. A SPeCiAlized tReAtMent John was looking for other options for pain relief when a friend referred him to Mariam Ghobriel, MD, pain management specialist with Liberty Anesthesia and on the medical staff at CentraState. After evaluating John's medical history, Dr. Ghobriel suggested a type of treatment he had not yet tried— radiofrequency ablation. This procedure helps Mariam Ghobriel, MD, board-certified pain management specialist relieve chronic pain by interrupting pain signals sent by nerves to the brain. During the procedure, the physician numbs the area using local anesthesia and then injects a needle through which a microelectrode is inserted. A small radiofrequency current is sent through the electrode to heat and deaden nerve endings. The procedure usually takes less than an hour, and patients can return home after the treatment. ince 2004, John Boshart has been living with severe back pain due to two fused vertebrae, bulging Thanks to clinical nurse services offered at the CentraState Fitness & Wellness Center, Edward Erlenmeyer discovered he had a deep vein thrombosis before it threatened his life. Radiofrequency ablation performed by Mariam Ghobriel, MD, helped John Boshart get back to life without constant back pain. "Through radiofrequency ablation, patients can experience relief from pain for up to a year," Dr. Ghobriel says. "Pain relief is almost immediate after the procedure." John experienced pain relief after undergoing radiofrequency ablation in his lumbar region (lower back) through treatments by Dr. Ghobriel and her specialized pain management team. He is in the process of having another treatment performed to relieve pain www.centrastate.com in his neck. After his treatments are complete, John hopes to return to hobbies he loves, including hunting and fishing. "The radiofrequency treatments have been a godsend," John says. "After additional treatments, I am hopeful that I will one day be pain free." For more information about pain management services at CentraState, call (866) CENTRA7 (866-236-8727). HD March/April 2012 7

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