Franklin Pain and Wellness Center

Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease which affects 1 out of 5 American women over the age of 50 throughout the US. Weakened, highly breakable bones are a sign of osteoporosis. It is a common problem that develops as people live into their 70s and beyond.

Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, or when too much calcium and phosphate are reabsorbed back into the body from existing bones. This results in frail and breakable bones even without injury and the condition is extremely painful.

Each year an estimated 1.4 million people worldwide suffer a spinal fracture. Most often these fractures are caused by osteoporosis.

There are really no symptoms of osteoporosis early on, however symptoms occurring late in the disease include bone pain, bone fracture without injury, loss of height, low back pain, neck pain, and stooped posture.

Left untreated, spinal fractures can cause pain and limit one’s ability to perform simple activities, which can lead to a diminished quality of life. Multiple fractures can also result in height loss, a hunched back and other physical problems. Kyphoplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure which treats spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis. It is designed to provide rapid back pain relief and help straighten the spine.

For information on Kyphoplasty procedure, contact The Franklin Pain Center and Wellness Center.

One of the complaints of pain patients is that they are misunderstood. They feel like a burden to their friends and family, or that people don’t believe the pain they are experiencing is real. At the Franklin Pain Center the entire staff is trained and dedicated to pain patients.

Often, pain is hard to describe and can be frustrating. At the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center, the doctors take the time to listen to the patients’ concerns. We also understand how important it is to communicate with other specialists the patient has been seen by, in order to collect a full medical history. This helps with pain diagnosis and treatment planning.

If you feel frustrated about your pain situation, call the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center to schedule an evaluation. Call 508-507-8818 or e-mail staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

A recent article in The New York Times titled “Living With Pain That Just Won’t Go Away” states “Pain, especially pain that doesn't quit, changes a person. And rarely for the better. The initial reaction to serious pain is usually fear (what is wrong with me, and is it curable?), but pain that fails to respond to treatment leads to anxiety, depression, anger and irritability.”

Unfortunately, this is often true and as demand for pain management grows, pain specialists like the ones at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center are constantly updating themselves on the latest technologies and methods to help patients manage their pain. Procedures like Kyphoplasty or Spinal Cord Stimulation are high-tech options that have brought several patients relief.

One patient states “I can’t say enough about the Kyphoplasty procedure and how it helped me, and I can’t thank Dr. Shwartzman enough for his expertise and how much he has helped me”. These types of results are not uncommon at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center, so if you feel that you or someone you know could benefit from the state-of-the-art care that The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center team can offer, call us at (508) 507-8818 or e-mail us at staff@franklinpaincenter.com to set up your evaluation.

Nearly two decades after federal guidelines called for more aggressive treatment of pain associated with cancer, millions of Americans with the disease still suffer unnecessarily because their pain is not being managed adequately, according to a new study.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, found that a third of cancer patients and survivors have untreated or undertreated pain, an improvement from 18 years ago but still far short.

The study, which was published this week, is the largest-ever evaluation of the treatment of pain in cancer patients and survivors in an outpatient setting.

The new study did not investigate why cancer patients' pain is still not adequately treated. Common reasons include patients' fear of narcotics and their lack of understanding of non-narcotic pain treatment. Some doctors don't understand the extent of some patients' pain.

The study enrolled more than 3,000 people with invasive breast, prostate, colon and lung cancer and at risk for pain at 38 institutions across the country. They included patients in active treatment and survivors seeing doctors for follow-up appointments. Most were being treated by oncologists, not pain specialists.

The researchers found that significant pain was an issue in two-thirds of patients and that 67% of them were receiving adequate treatment. Twenty percent of those reporting severe pain were not receiving any pain treatment, and 13% were receiving ineffective pain treatment.

The study included patients whose pain was caused by their cancer, by the treatment for their cancer or by illnesses they brought to their cancer care.

The study shows how complicated pain management and pain management education can be in cancer patients. For an evaluation and a customized, non narcotic pain treatment plan, contact Franklin Pain Wellness Center.

Leg pain is a common complaint. The goal of the pain specialist is to pinpoint the source of the leg pain and then determine the best treatment plan for that leg pain. At the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center, a pain specialist will first do a full examination and review of your medical history. If needed, the pain specialist will collaborate with other physicians to obtain as much information about your specific case as possible.

Followed by the initial evaluation and diagnosis, the pain specialist will recommend a procedure. A common procedure for leg pain is Spinal Cord Stimulation. Spinal Cord Stimulation uses a small implanted device to generate tiny electrical pulses that replace the feeling of pain with a tingling or massaging sensation. Spinal cord stimulation is a widely accepted medical treatment. It is an FDA-approved therapy for treatment of chronic pain of the trunk and limbs (back, legs and arms). Many major health insurance plans, Medicare and worker's compensation programs provide benefits and coverage for Spinal Cord Stimulation therapy.

If you feel that you may be a candidate for spinal cord stimulation, call the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center at 508-507-8818 or e-mail staff@franklinpaincenter.com to schedule your evaluation.

Pain is the number one reason people seek medical care according to the American Pain Society. As more and more Americans seek pain management services, it is no surprise that quality pain specialists are in high demand.

Currently, very little pain management education is provided in medical schools. According to a Johns Hopkins University study published in The Journal of Pain, out of 117 medical schools that participated in the study, a majority of these schools are teaching one or more core topics in pain, but many schools are not reporting any pain teaching and most others devote less than five hours to pain education. Further, the authors found that cancer pain, pediatric pain and geriatric pain are essentially unaddressed by the vast majority of medical schools.

What does this mean for pain management? Pain patients must seek out professionals who specialize in pain. The specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center have undergone additional education, post medical school, in order to focus on chronic pain management. Additionally, the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center continue to take continuing education courses to stay on top of the evolving techniques and procedures in the pain management industry.

If you suffer from chronic pain and are seeking pain management treatment, call The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center at (508) 507-8818 to schedule your evaluation or e-mail staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

Minimally Invasive pain procedures can be a great alternative to surgery. Surgery usually involves a long recovery period, medications and possible side effects. Procedures done by the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center are minimally invasive and aimed at minimizing dependency on pain medications.

The successful outcome of a pain management procedure is to restore enough mobility so that the patient can become more active and build up strength to maintain a painless condition. If this result is achieved, the patient becomes less dependent on medications and hopefully healthier overall.

If you suffer from chronic pain, call the Franklin Pain Center at 508-507-8818 and schedule an evaluation today. Or e-mail at staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to be prescribed opioid pain killers than other veterans with pain problems and more likely to use the opioids in risky ways, according to a study published by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were prescribed opioids for pain – and particularly those with post-traumatic stress disorder — had a higher prevalence of “adverse clinical outcomes,” like overdoses, self-inflicted injuries and injuries caused by accidents or fighting.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense have for years been trying to reduce the use of opioid pain therapy among active duty troops and veterans amid reports of overmedication, addiction, rampant drug abuse and accidental deaths caused by overdoses or toxic mixing of medications.

If you are a veteran or have a loved one who is a veteran, please consider alternatives to opioid therapy, particularly with PTSD patients.

Understanding the potential links between post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain is important because both are common among service members. By some estimates, one in five combat veterans report symptoms of PTSD, which can include nightmares, flashbacks, irritability and sleeplessness.

Chronic pain is also prevalent among troops and veterans, even those who have not experienced major battlefield injuries, like the loss of a limb. Lower back, knee, shoulder and other joint pains are common because of the routine physical stresses of the work, including wearing heavy body armor and packs.

More and more veterans with chronic pain problems are willing to try alternative pain therapies. Veterans know other veterans who have had problems and they don’t want to get hooked on narcotics. So there is great openness to treating pain with therapies other than opiates.

Massachusetts Veterans or families of veterans, for more information on management of chronic pain, please contact Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.

Excerpts from International News Network

"Dr. Shwartzman gave me my life back and I am so thankful that Kyphoplasty was available to me. People told me before the Kyphoplasty was done that my skin color was gray because of the pain I was in. Now I have my normal skin color and feel I feel so much better thanks to Dr. Shwartzman and the Kyphoplasty procedures. I can't say enough about the Kyphoplasty procedure and how it helped me, and I can't thank Dr. Shwartzman enough for his expertise."

Vertebral Compression Fracture Causes

Compression fractures of the back are broken vertebrae, which are the bones of the spine. Compression fractures of the vertebra may be caused by:

Osteoporosis, which is the most common cause. These types of fractures can lead to chronic pain and disability.

Trauma to the back – Injury severe enough to cause a vertebra to break can occur from a fall where you land on your back, feet, or buttocks. It can also be caused by a car accident.

Pathologic fracture this is a fracture caused by a preexisting disease like cancer in the bone. Cancer tumors in the bone can either start in the bone or spine, like multiple myeloma, which start in the spine, or they can travel to the bone from other tumors in the body.

The vertebral fracture may also occur because of a localized infection of the bone. This often occurs in people with diabetes or in those who abuse IV drugs.

Multiple fractures may lead to a hump-like curvature of the spine which is also called kyphosis.

Vertebral Compression Fracture Symptoms

The pain from Vertebral Compression Fracture tends to be in the lower back but may occur in the upper back or neck. Some people may also have hip, abdominal, or thigh pain.

You may experience numbness, tingling, and weakness: Such symptoms could mean compression of the nerves at the point of the fracture.

Most compression fractures occur in older people with osteoporosis. These fractures generally do not cause injury to the spinal cord, but they can cause pain. The condition is usually treated with medicines and calcium supplements to prevent further fractures.

Other than narcotic pain treatment, Vertebral Compression Fractures may be treated with a back braces, but these may further weaken the bones and increase your risk of more fractures. Physical therapy is also used as pain treatment in order to improve your movement and strength around the spine.

The latest advancement in spinal fracture treatment is called Kyphoplasty. This minimally invasive procedure is offered by the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.

A comprehensive examination will be done and some additional lab tests may be performed. This is done in order to establish the most thorough and accurate diagnosis so that a customized program that will target your specific pain can be created.

If you suffer from Vertebral Compression Fractures, contact Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.