Franklin Pain and Wellness Center

Back Pain is the most common type of chronics pain. Sometimes, back pain is the result of a fractured spinal disc. If you’re experiencing symptoms like…

• Sudden, severe back pain.
• Worsening of pain when standing or walking.
• Some pain relief when lying down.
• Difficulty and pain when bending or twisting.
• Loss of height.
• Deformity of the spine - the curved, "hunchback" shape.

…you could have a fractured disc. Sometimes a fractured disc is very painful and other times, the fracture occurs gradually so the pain isn’t necessarily immediately felt. Some people don’t feel the pain, but rather notice their back becoming more curved. This is usually a sign of multiple fractured discs.

Luckily, the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center have a minimally invasive solution for this type of back pain called Kyphoplasty. Kyphoplasty is a procedure done with local anesthesia. The doctor first numbs the area of the back near the compressed disc. A tiny hollow tube is inserted into the back right into the fractured vertebrae and then fills the vertebrae with a cast material, which hardens and restores the height of the vertebrae. Kyphoplasty only takes a few hours and the recovery is generally very easy.

The best part is that Kyphoplasty is a great high tech solution for back pain as opposed to medications, which only treat the symptoms, require refills and often have side effects and addictive properties. For a non-narcotic solution for your back pain, contact The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center at Staff@franklinpaincenter.com or call (508) 507-8818.

The newly released study in the Journal of Pain found that when asked to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10 - 0 being no pain, and 10 being the worst pain - women on average scored their pain 20% more intense than men.

The results held from back pain and neck pain, digestive disorders, sinus infections, and even ankle strains and sprains. In almost every category, women reported more pain than men.

The overall results tended to confirm the fact that women with fibromyalgia or migraines report more pain than men with those conditions. But the study also identified previously undocumented gender differences. For example, pain intensity among patients with acute sinusitis or neck pain is greater in women than in men.

According to the results of the study women experience more intense pain than men. The fact that women report more pain overall doesn't necessarily mean they have more or less tolerance to pain than men.

There are numerous studies showing that women report more pain than men for a number of diseases. The study doesn't explain the reason for the difference, and it could include social, psychological or biological factors. For example, men may be more reluctant to confess intense pain to a female nurse. Women are more likely than men to suffer from depression and anxiety, two psychological conditions that can increase susceptibility to pain.

For the study, the researchers analyzed electronic medical records to examine more than 160,000 pain scores reported for more than 72,000 adult patients. The results showed higher pain scores for women in virtually every disease category. The differences were both statistically and clinically significant.

There certainly are differences in pain among men and women. But this study focused on pain intensity, most previous studies looked at the prevalence: the percentage of men versus women with a particular clinical problem who are in pain.

Information from USA Today and SF Gate

Our comprehensive pain management approach offers procedures and treatments to help manage your patient's pain.

"I had been in pain for over seven years. I tried so many treatments and medications to help. Nothing worked. My last specialist was the staff at Warwick Pain Center. Dr. Shwartzman and his staff truly helped and I have recommended them to others. Although I can’t say I’m pain free, I can say that my quality of life is so much better."

- Therese S.
Radiofrequency Facet Neurotomy