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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PAIN MANAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT +++ +++ P Therapeutic Pain Relief Services By South Texas Radiology Imaging Centers AIN IS THE most common presenting symptom seen by those in the medical profession. Determining the source of pain and the subsequent management and treatment regimen is a challenge to both diagnostic and treating physicians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that the lower back is a prevailing location for adult pain, reported by approximately 30% of survey respondents1 . Separate studies have indicated that more than 30% of adults report experiencing pain in a peripheral joint. Understanding the importance of helping patients manage pain for a better quality of life, South Texas Radiology Imaging Centers (STRIC) provides nonsurgical, image-guided pain relief services for spine and joint pathology at its Orthopedic Imaging Center and Hardy Oak Imaging & Interventional Center. Pain management, in its broadest definition, is a program man- aged by a specialized physician to reduce a patient's pain through medication, rest, physical therapy, bracing, injection regimens or surgery. Most times, a combination of these treatments will be prescribed, with multiple physicians and medical providers each playing a role in the spectrum of treatment. STRIC pain relief services are designed to work with the patient's physician(s). The practice's pain management radiologists are board certified by the American Board of Radiology and have further specialty training in the relevant fields of musculoskeletal radiology and neuroradiology. In addition, they have specialized even further in image-guided pain management interventions. STRIC prides itself on compassion, patience and a tiered efficiency of services delivered. John P. Clement IV, M.D., Ph.D., STRIC's Director of Pain Management Services and a board-certified radiologist subspe- cialized in musculoskeletal radiology and interventional pain management, explains that a series of steps must be accomplished to maximize the potential for a successful outcome. "Clinical and imaging data must be combined in order to deter- mine the optimal intervention," he says. "Orthopedic radiologists are experts in diagnosing pain sources using imaging. Specialized John P. Clement IV, M.D., Ph.D., STRIC's Director of Pain Management Services pain management radiologists are well trained in the clinical assessment of pain. This combination of clinical and imaging expertise allows a high degree of confidence in diagnostic and therapeutic success." Often, the imaging assessment, utilizing computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or ultra- sound technology, is combined with a clinical assessment and pain inter- vention in a single patient encounter, preventing prolonged periods between diagnosis and delivery of treatment. All procedures are then performed using the appropriate imaging modality, with a visual record of procedural success documented in the patient's record. Candidates for pain relief treatments may have: + persistent pain that has not improved with rest and medication + a positive imaging study + degenerative arthritis + spinal stenosis + disc herniation + neck, back or sciatic pain For more information, please call South Texas Radiology Imaging Centers at (210) 319-4021, visit www.stric.com or follow STRIC on Facebook. s 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5947a6.htm?s_cid =mm 5947a6_w 18 | San Antonio MD NEWS s MDNEWS.COM