Helping Patients Achieve Relief from Chronic Pain
Thursday, November 25, 2010
According to the American Academy of Pain Management, chronic pain affects more than 50 million Americans, necessitating interventions designed to help patients optimize function, minimize pain and decrease reliance on pain medication.
For patients suffering from chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions, including back or neck pain, radiculopathy and neuropathy of one or more limbs, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, muscular pain, spondylosis, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain disease or degenerative disc disease, referral to an interventional pain management physician may be indicated to help them regain quality of life. In this issue of MD News, meet four interventional pain management physicians who are committed to helping patients throughout Central Mississippi achieve optimal pain relief.
Rex Williams, M.D.
Dr. Williams, interventional pain management physician at Pain Management Consultants in Jackson, MS, is board certified in pain management and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology, having extensive training and experience in both pain management and anesthesiology. At Pain Management Consultants, Dr. Williams offers a wide range of conservative and surgical pain management services, including cervical, lumbar and thoracic epidurals; trigger point injections; intra-articular injections; appropriate medication management; facet injections; radiofrequency ablation of the facet and sacroiliac joints; discograms; spinal cord stimulators; and kyphoplasty.
“If a patient’s pain is chronic — lasting more than six weeks — referral should occur as soon as possible to help ensure the best outcomes,” says Dr. Williams. “Many times, we can avoid surgery and utilize a conservative approach when patients are referred early for services. We are able to offer a lot more than medication management. Many physicians will refer patients who are addicted to narcotics or opioids to my office; however, that is a separate specialty, and it would be best for these patients to see an appropriate expert.”
Born and raised in Jackson, MS, Dr. Williams completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Mississippi. In 2001, he completed his medical degree at The University of Mississippi Medical Center. He went on to complete a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in pain management at the University of Florida. In 2006, he returned to Jackson and began working in private practice. He opened Pain Management Consultants in 2008.
Having family in the medical field, Dr. Williams followed in his father’s (Ron Williams, M.D.) footsteps when he attended medical school. At the time, he had no interest in his father’s chosen specialties — anesthesiology and interventional pain management. After exposure to anesthesia through medical school rotations, however, his interest increased.
Dr. Williams is currently on staff at St. Dominic’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital and River Oaks Hospital. He sees patients at Pain Management Consultants Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is available for inpatient consultations, as well.
For more information about Dr. Williams and Pain Management Consultants, please visit www.painmanagementconsultantsms.com or call (601) 982-4644.
Ron Williams, M.D., FIPP
With more than 20 years of experience as an operating room anesthesiologist — five of those years being chief of anesthesia at Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, MS — Dr. Williams, interventional pain management physician at Trinity Pain Clinic in Flowood, MS, began to gain more exposure to interventional pain management through patients of surgeons who were seeking pain relief. He opened his own pain management clinic in 1990. Emphasizing a philosophy that the patient is a three-part being — spirit, mind and body — and that any and all of these may be involved in the experience we call “pain,” appropriate attention is given to these three parts.
“At Trinity Pain Clinic, a multidisciplinary approach to pain management is taken,” says Dr. Williams. “We utilize extensive interventional procedures, including various nerve blocks, as well as spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pump implants. In addition, we also utilize modalities of physical therapy, lifestyle assessments and counseling in areas such as stress management, nutrition and exercise. Psychologists and addiction specialists are available on staff, and referral for a neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery evaluation may be utilized when appropriate.”
When appropriate, referral to other specialties, such as orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery, psychology, psychiatry and/or addictionology will be offered.
Dr. Williams received his medical degree from The University of Mississippi School of Medicine. After completing medical school, he performed an internship, residency and additional training in anesthesiology and pain management at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, CA. Dr. Williams is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology, and board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in pain management. He is or has been a member of several prestigious professional organizations, including the Society for Pain Practice Management, Southern Pain Society, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, American Society of Regional Anesthesiology, International Spinal Injection Society and World Institute of Pain. Dr. Williams’s specific clinical interest is in complex regional pain syndrome.
“In the past, awareness and use of pain management services has been somewhat underutilized,” says Dr. Williams. “There have been situations where pain management services would have greatly benefited patients; however, there was an unawareness of the services that could be provided to patients. Anytime a referring physician feels that consultation would be in order for any of the services that we provide — even if it is solely medication management for referring physicians who are uncomfortable with the types of medication needed — we welcome a call. However, we find that most of these patients could benefit from our multifaceted services.”
For more information about Dr. Williams and Trinity Pain Clinic, please visit www.trinitypainclinic.com or call (601) 420-2040.
A. Gordon Lyons, M.D.
Many patients experiencing chronic pain feel misunderstood by their family, friends and medical providers. This may leave patients frustrated and with a decreased quality of life. Dr. Lyons’ philosophy is to spend the time necessary to identify the source of a patient’s pain. This results in patients experiencing better outcomes and overall functionality. At Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic, Dr. Lyons, interventional pain management physician, emphasizes spending ample time with patients to develop treatment plans that will help them regain their quality of life.
“One of the primary clinical focuses of my practice is evaluating and treating chronic pain, which is defined as pain that lasts longer than normally expected for a particular diagnosis or injury,” says Dr. Lyons. “Basically, interventional pain management physicians are medical detectives who analyze a patient’s symptoms and then set out to determine what is causing the underlying pain. Once the cause of pain has been identified, our attention turns to the best and most cost-effective modality that will return the patient’s function.”
A Biloxi native, Dr. Lyons received his medical degree from The University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. In 1994, after developing a growing interest in pain management, he completed a pain management fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Lyons has been an invited faculty member at national meetings for the Society of Pain Practice Management and the International Spine Intervention Society. Dr. Lyons’s clinical interests include diagnosing and treating spinal pain and pain of neuropathic origin. He is board certified in both anesthesiology and pain management.
At Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic, Dr. Lyons offers both diagnostic and therapeutic treatment modalities, including nonopioid adjuvant analgesics. While many times a patient’s pain can be resolved through pain management intervention, complex cases often involve a multidisciplinary approach that involves physicians from a variety of specialties. Because of this, Dr. Lyons has also fostered relationships with community physicians in a variety of specialties, including neurosurgery, orthopedic spine surgery, neuropsychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, chiropractic medicine and occupational therapy.
“We strive to provide our patients with the most up-to-date and personalized pain management care,” says Dr. Lyons. “Through extensive experience and maintaining excellent relationships with community physicians, we have been able to provide our patients with the broadest range and highest quality of care available for patients suffering from chronic pain.”
John Adams, D.O., FIPP
Dr. Adams is American Board of Medical Specialties certified in family medicine and American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation subspecialty certified in pain management. He also holds certification by the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians and has achieved the distinguished title of Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice through the World Institute of Pain.
Dr. Adams has practiced interventional pain management as part of Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic since 2005. He has a wide range of experience in many areas of medicine, having served as a hospital chief of staff, emergency physician and medical director for two hospice organizations. Through his extensive experience, he has obtained a wealth of knowledge and skill from many medical disciplines, which he brings to his patients every day.
“Our primary goal when treating patients is to help them return to their maximal functional level. We are committed to doing everything we can to make delivering effective care convenient and practical for both referring physicians and the patients they serve,” says Dr. Adams. “Although we utilize the full complement of interventional pain management options, we emphasize a comprehensive approach to pain management. We do not just give injections and then send patients back to their referring physician. Having several years experience as a rural family physician, I know first hand what challenges the primary care physicians and nurse practitioners face daily when dealing with chronic pain patients. We are willing to take a more active role in the long-term management of these patients and are able to assist referring physicians with some of the day-to-day difficulties that occur when managing a patient’s pain.”
Dr. Adams’s clinical focus is treating chronic spine and nerve pain. Interventional pain management options he uses to man- age these conditions include epidural steroid injections, percutaneous lysis of adhesions, medial branch (facet) blocks, radiofrequency thermocoagulation neurotomy, cryoneuroablation, joint injections, sympathetic nerve blocks, trigger point injections, spinal cord (dorsal column) stimulation and ultrasound-guided nerve blocks.
Provocation discography with controlled disc stimulation (CDS) may be used to help diagnose lumbar disc annular tears. Dr. Adams was the first physician in the state to utilize the CDS technology. He was also one of the first physicians in the state to utilize the NeuroTherm Simplicity probe technology for relief of the common, but difficult to treat, problem of sacroiliac joint pain.
Aside from providing patients access to state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Adams emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to pain management utilizing physical therapy, clinical psychology and judicious use of medications. Dr. Adams is also credentialed to help patients titrate off opiates using buprenorphine if necessary.
Although referral preferences of referring physicians and the patients are a priority, highly qualified, board-certified neurosurgeons are available on site for patients whose management may be best handled through surgical intervention.
“If a patient has severe pain or a functionally debilitating condition that is refractory to conservative modalities, then referral to a neurosurgeon may be indicated,” says Dr. Adams. “However, for many common spinal conditions, such as herniated discs, facet arthropathy and degenerative disc disease, interventional pain management options can be successful in returning up to 70% of patients to a functional level without surgery. By having both disciplines available in the same office, referring physicians can have confidence in the fact that their patients’ care can be handled appropriately, conveniently and in a timely manner.”
Together, Drs. Lyons and Adams have more than 25 years of combined experience in the field of interventional pain management. Appointments at Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic are made by referral only. For more information or to refer your patient, call (601) 366-1011.
MD News November/December 2010, Central Mississippi
I have had chronic back pain for several years, I had a fall fromabout 30' in 2005 and another in this yrea on May 07 in which UMC surgeons put 126 screws in my left arm below my elbow. The surgeon said I had degenarative RA and injured my neck , I've been wearing a collor since the and they say to keep it on until DR. Batman get back from vacation Sept. 19. I am a great deal of pain. I have no ins. but, some cash and a debit card. I can' have a live like this. On top of this I have COPD. I Pray that you can possibly help