With persistent pain increasingly recognized as a complex, multifactorial problem, it seems logical that the most effective approach to treating it is an interdisciplinary one that addresses every dimension and offers the patient a comprehensive treatment plan.
That is exactly the philosophy at Miamis Pain Medicine Solutions, where a team of expert pain medicine professionals offers not only the most clinically effective, state-of-the-art strategies for treating pain, but also the most cost-effective. According to Albert Ray, M.D., founder and medical director of the practice and a pioneer in the specialty, Pain Medicine Solutions emphasizes early intervention, interdisciplinary care and recognition of the uniqueness of each individuals experience of pain.
“Our primary goal is restoration of function,” says Ray, “so that the patient can return to work and resume his or her previous lifestyle. Persistent pain can disrupt everyday life and be physically and emotionally debilitating. Our approach has helped thousands of people to feel significantly better and to regain their productivity and quality of life.”
Whether the pain is the result of a work injury, accident, illness or surgery, the specialists at Pain Medicine Solutions develop a customized treatment plan for each patient based on an initial in-depth evaluation. The patient receives a complete history and physical and a variety of tests, and is assessed by Dr. Ray, clinical psychologist Albert Zbik, Psy.D., and other team members. The assessment team might include a neurologist, physical therapist, registered nurse, functional movement specialist, orthopedic surgeon, chiropractor or others. Pain Medicine Solutions blends conventional western medicine with proven eastern and complementary therapies, addressing the whole person and the big picture of environment, lifestyle and overall health.
“Pain is not a one dimensional experience. It has physical, cognitive and emotional dimensions and also is impacted by body memory, or cellular memory, which concerns the persons prior experiences with pain,” states Zbik. “We identify the obstacles that prevent people from getting better. Treating a single body part, or trying to treat pain with one modality, such as physical therapy or pain medications, does not get to the root causes or get the person functioning again. Inadequate treatment can lead to drug dependence. Interdisciplinary pain treatment, in contrast, improves function, eases pain and results in tremendous cost savings.”
According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain, which may begin as a symptom of a condition or disease but eventually becomes a disease in itself. Unrelieved pain consumes enormous costs for individuals, who may require prolonged hospital stays, re-admissions, frequent visits to physicians offices, medications and other treatments; for American businesses, which lose $60-100 billion annually in lost worker productivity; and for the health insurance industry, which pays for an unresolved chronic pain conditions.
According to Ray, the majority of the patients treated at Pain Medicine Solutions have pain due to work-related injuries. “Workmens Compensation cases can cost $250,000 to $300,000 per case or more and go unresolved for a long time. But with our program, the cost is miniscule in comparison and our approach is far more effective; it allows closure of cases. Early intervention creates better outcomes and gets the person back on the job much faster. Our program is an opportunity for the patient to get 100% of what he or she needs plus a savings for the insurance company. Interdisciplinary pain treatment makes sense for employers and insurance companies and makes a huge difference for patients. More insurance carriers are recognizing this and reimbursing for pain medicine.”
Services available at Pain Medicine Solutions include medical management, individual counseling, chiropractic, muscle re-education, stress management, relaxation therapy, ergonomics and job analysis, trigger point injection, myofascial release, acupuncture and trauma resolution.
Pain medicine, say the doctors, is not pain management. Its a medical specialty that takes a comprehensive, research-supported approach to resolving pain and restoring function. Although it is not yet identified as an official medical specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties, it has been recognized by the American Medical Association for the past ten years.
For Ray and Zbik, its an extraordinarily rewarding field. They are proud to have been involved in pain medicine from its earliest days in Seattle through its evolution to todays innovative, highly effective specialty that treats people of all ages and diagnoses.
“Seeing a patient enter our offices in tears from pain, and then seeing that same person leave with a smile on their face because their pain has been relieved, is so satisfying,” says Zbik. “That really makes my day.”