Blog Archive
Each year in the United States, between 1 and 1.5 million vertebral compression fractures occur, some over time and some as a result of a trauma. Since compression fractures can develop acutely or gradually, the signs can be quite different. To help you figure out whether you might be dealing with a...
When you go to the grocery store, the only way you can weather the outing is to lean forward against the shopping cart and walk gingerly. If standing up straight and walking have become intolerable due to moderate-to-severe lumbar spinal stenosis, we can help you walk and stand tall again...
Your diet should support your body in every way possible by providing it with the nutrients it needs to function well. Unfortunately, modern diets have become calorie-rich and nutrient-poor, which can have a big impact on your health, including the level of pain you may be experiencing. To shed some...
Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability around the world. At any given time, 25% of adults in the United States report experiencing lower back pain in the previous three months. At Comprehensive Pain Management, Dr. Boris Shwartzman, Dr. Do Chan, and the rest of our team members are experts when it...
About 10 million Americans aged 50 and older have osteoporosis, placing them at a much greater risk for spinal compression fractures. These fractures can not only cause considerable pain, they can lead to hunching and loss of height. Luckily, there are treatment options, and one of the more effective is a kyphoplasty. As...
You’re in pain, and you want the fastest and easiest road to relief. For a time, it was believed that opioids were the best solution, but the last 30+ years have proved quite the opposite. While opioids do offer pain relief, they can also lead down very dark roads that...
Approximately one in five adults in the United States struggles with chronic pain, which can have a surprisingly large impact on their lives that goes well past the discomfort. To give you an idea about the effects that chronic pain can have on your life, the team here at Comprehensive Pain Management, including Drs. Boris Shwartzman and Do Chan,...
Your life has been consumed by nagging back and/or neck pain and you’re not all that keen on managing the discomfort with medications. To avoid the potential risks that come with painkillers and to find effective relief from the pain, many people are turning to spinal cord stimulation — and...
You’re struggling with ongoing pain, and you rely on pain-relieving medications to help you get through the day. All too soon, however, you find yourself taking your medications earlier than you should or doubling up on doses because you feel you need more. These behaviors are the hallmarks of opioid...
You have an overactive nerve that objects to certain movements, causing you a good deal of pain. Through radiofrequency ablation (RFA), we can quiet this nerve, allowing you to move freely and without pain. Of the many pain management services that Drs. Do Chan, Boris Shwartzman, and the rest of...
The burden that comes with managing pain is no small one, as the problem affects almost every aspect of your existence. The end result is that you’re tired of being imprisoned by pain, and you long for relief and a return to a more normal, happier, life. We share this...
There’s nothing quite like pain when it comes to overshadowing your life and you just want to find some relief. You know that medications, in particular painkillers, get the job done, but you’re worried about the dangers of this approach to pain management — and rightfully so. As medical experts...
Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 have some degree of osteoporosis, or loss of bone density, leaving them at risk for fractures, including compression fractures along the spine. These fractures can lead to a host of problems, including muscle spasms in...
One in five American adults lives with chronic pain, to say nothing of the number of people who are dealing with acute pain. Whether your pain is chronic or acute, you’re tired of the discomfort ruling your life, and you want relief. When it comes to pain-management treatments, there’s no...
Ongoing pain has a way of taking over your life, overshadowing everything you do, and you want to break free. You’ve tried a wide range of treatments and nothing seems to work, leaving you, understandably, frustrated. The team here at Comprehensive Pain Management, including Drs. Do Chan and Boris Shwartzman,...
Fall in New England can be a beautiful time of year, tempting you to go outdoors to get some exercise. October is also the month when we start to look ahead toward the long, cold, and often confining months of winter. Since another event takes place in October — Health...
Your life has been hijacked by an opioid use disorder, and you want your freedom back. Realizing this is the first step on the road to recovery, and we’re here to help you negotiate your next steps. Since September is National Recovery Month in the United States, the team here...
Under ideal circumstances, you lay your head down each night and sleep for eight hours and then wake up refreshed and ready to take on the world. When you’re in pain, however, getting to sleep or staying asleep can be frustrating and have serious health consequences. To help you better...
You’re in pain, but you’re hesitant about resorting to potentially addictive medications like opioids. The good news is that there are plenty of viable alternatives that can help you find relief, and we offer them here at Comprehensive Pain Management. Our team of pain-management specialists, led by Drs. Do Chan...
You’re struggling with a compression fracture that’s causing you considerable pain, and you’re tired of not being able to enjoy your life. After weighing your options, you decide that a kyphoplasty is the best path forward to pain-free living, but you’re concerned about the recovery period. Here at Comprehensive Pain...
You try to bravely put a smile on your face as you struggle through your day, pain meeting you at seemingly every turn. And you’re tired of existing in a state of constant physical and mental stress, thanks to the discomfort. There is another way. The team here at Comprehensive...
You get out of bed each morning and take a few steps to see what shape your back is in and whether you’ll be dealing with pain that day. Wouldn’t it be great to jump out of bed knowing that back pain won’t be paying an unwelcome visit? The team...
Your spine stretches all the way from the base of your head down to your pelvis, but certain areas are more prone to chronic pain than others, including your neck. While the pain itself is hard to weather, it also hampers your ability to turn your head freely to see...
Chronic pain is defined as any pain that lasts for three months or more, which is three months too long as far as you’re concerned. You want your life back, free from pain, and you’re frustrated by the lack of answers. As practitioners devoted to managing pain, our team here...
One in five Americans struggles with chronic pain — a number that’s expected to rise thanks to an aging population. If you’re among the more than 50 million adults in the United States whose lives are impacted by relentless pain, relief is your top priority. And it’s also our top priority....
Millions of Americans battle persistent pain every day thanks to compressed or irritated nerves. One of the most effective frontline treatments for these “noisy” nerves is a technique called radiofrequency ablation, which prevents the nerve from sending pain signals. As a pain management practice, our team here at Comprehensive Pain...
One in five Americans struggles with chronic pain and, 20% of them report high-impact pain, which interferes with their lives in meaningful ways. To say that pain is common in the United States would be an understatement, as these numbers don’t take into account problems with acute pain. Here at...
Addictive substances surround us — whether it’s the nicotine in cigarettes, the alcohol in your cocktail, or the opioids in your painkillers. When any of these substances are misused, it can quickly lead to the addiction and dependency that are the hallmarks of a substance use disorder. As pain management...
Millions of Americans spend their days trying to find the best treatment option for their chronic pain, and many have found relief in the form of a spinal cord stimulator. If you’re contemplating turning to a spinal cord stimulator to address your pain, there are a few things you should...
Since your spine acts as the primary conduit for your nervous system, when you develop a problem in your back or neck, the symptoms can either stay local or radiate out to your upper and lower limbs, further exacerbating your discomfort. Whether you’re struggling with chronic pain or you’re experiencing...
If you consider that more than 80% of adults in the United States will have some experience with lower back pain, you realize the extent of the problem. Back pain can range from overdoing it at the golf course to chronic arthritis that affects your ability to function normally, and...
The numbers surrounding the prevalence of chronic pain in the United States are nothing short of eye-opening. To wit, more than 20% of the adult population reports problems with chronic pain, and this number could be as high as 40%, as not all chronic pain is reported. While solutions such...
Pinched, ruptured, herniated — no matter the word, when one of the discs along your spine is compromised, it can lead to local and radiating symptoms that put a serious damper on your ability to move without pain or discomfort. At Comprehensive Pain Management, our team, which is led by...
Millions of Americans struggle with chronic pain each day, which can place severe limitations on their quality of life. If you find yourself with neck, back, or joint pain that doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, then radiofrequency ablation may be just the ticket, as it goes straight to the source...
The difference between acute and chronic pain may seem obvious, but there’s a lot more to defining pain than duration, though that does play a considerable role. At Comprehensive Pain Management, Drs. Do Chan and Boris Shwartzman have devoted their careers to helping patients overcome painful conditions of all kinds,...
The road to pain relief shouldn’t be a bumpy one that causes more pain and potentially leads to complications. Thanks to new technologies and a better understanding of pain, there are many minimally invasive pain management techniques that offer effective and long-lasting solutions. At Comprehensive Pain Management, Drs. Do Chan...
When you’re in pain, relief is often the only thing you can think about, and the fastest way to get that relief is often through the use of opioid-based painkillers. Indeed, during the 1990s, painkillers were viewed as one of those “magic bullets,” helping millions of people finally break free...
As you age, your bones begin to lose density, leaving them more prone to fracturing. When it comes to the vertebrae in your spine, these fractures may develop over time, leading to increasing pain as well as a more hunched appearance. One of the best ways to restore structure to...
An incredible 80% of adults in the United States experience back pain at some point in their lives, and 20% of those who suffer acute pain go on to deal with ongoing problems. Reports suggest that the first experience with lower back pain typically occurs between the ages of 30...
When you’re in pain, your only thought is of relief — and this is perfectly understandable. In fact, more than 20% of Americans struggle with pain on a daily basis, and of this number, 8% deal with high-impact pain. Unfortunately, any road to relief that involves narcotics is a bumpy...
Americans are no strangers to chronic low back pain — it’s the leading cause of job-related disability and a primary driver of missed workdays in the United States. If you’ve been struggling with low back pain and relief has been elusive, we’re excited to be one of the first practices...
Americans are no strangers to low back pain — 80% of the population has experienced it at some point in their lives. But if you’re dealing with chronic and progressive pain at the hands of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), your problem is far from fleeting. While management measures can relieve...
The opioid crisis in the United States has made headlines as more people succumb to opioid addiction, especially at the hands of prescription painkillers. Of the almost 20.5 million people who struggle with a substance use disorder, nearly two million of them abuse pain relievers. Here at Comprehensive Pain Management,...
About 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and it often resolves with minimal medical intervention. But for those who suffer with chronic back pain, the ordeal presents numerous challenges and can detract from the quality of your life. Pain that persists for three...
Back pain is the most common cause of disability in the entire world, and lower back pain alone affects approximately 31 million men and women in the United States. When you have back pain, it can not only affect your ability to work, but it can also keep you from...
Spinal compression fractures can signal the end of pain-free mobility for those who experience them. Often due to loss of bone density (osteoporosis) and strength, a compression fracture occurs when weakened vertebra in your spine begin to break or splinter with normal activity, such as walking. Depending on the number...
Overactive Bladder Syndrome (OBS) can seriously impact one's quality of life. People who suffer from OBS often times cannot participate in many activities. Their life can be very limiting. Outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, golfing and many others are not an option and sufferers of OBS end up missing out...