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right place clinically to diagnose and treat the full spectrum of spine problems, including muscular and skeletal issues." A Diagnostic Dilemma Back pain is notoriously hard to treat effectively; four out of five adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, according to the North American Spine Society. While most cases are resolved without incident, even acute, short-term pain can lead to fear and anxiety. When spine pain becomes chronic — lasting two to four months or more — increasingly intense psychological stress can ensue. Distress, in turn, may aggravate pain, leading the patient into a vicious cycle of hurt and frustration. The problem is complicated when treatments are ineffective; failure rates for spine surgery are thought to range from 10 to 40 percent, according to 2015 research in Anesthesiolog y and Pain Medicine. That's why it's of the utmost importance to have patients evaluated by a physician trained in multimodal treatments for back pain. When patients who have suffered from long-term back pain arrive at Dr. Raj's office, they may be frustrated with both their physical condition and the inability of previous providers to offer any relief. That's where Dr. Raj's multidisciplinary expertise comes into play, allowing him to make the right diagnosis and initiate the most effective course of treatment. "Most of the time, patients see the wrong specialists and receive the wrong treatment," he says. "When I see them, they are still in pain. If a patient needs surgery, but suffers from a different issue [than is diagnosed], the patient gets the wrong treatment and remains in pain. Correct diagnosis is critical to avoiding unnecessary treatment. My mission is to properly diagnose and treat pain." Dr. Raj, with nurse technologist Divina Verde, performs a C-arm fluoroscopy-guided spinal procedure. Dr. Raj believes it is a great privilege to bring relief to people suffering from chronic pain disorders. He loves when his patients come back for follow-up visits and tell him that they are feeling better after his treatment. He recalls a favorite quote from Albert Schweitzer: "We must all die. But that I can save him from days of torture, that is what I feel as my great and ever new privilege. Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death himself." M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Long Island | 7