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.

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.

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."

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 on quality time with their family and friends.

OBS can also affect one's physical well being too. Constant worrying, nervousness, embarrassment and planning every event around trips to the bathroom can have a negative impact on one's outlook on life. Additionally, those who suffer from OBS usually wake up several times per night, which can have a serious impact on a good night's rest. Lack of sleep can lead to lack of energy and lack of productivity at work or school. In addition, drowsiness can be dangerous, especially behind the wheel or in other situations which require concentration.

Fortunately, there is a solution to OBS. Interstim is a product of Medtronic, the inventor of the pacemaker. Interstim is a small stimulator that is implanted into the body which helps to control the urgency feeling of urination. The specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center perform interstim trial procedures which allow you to " test drive" the stimulator on a temporary basis for 5-7 days and help you determine if this is the best solution for you. Patients who have tried Interstim therapy claim that it has really improved their quality of life.

Contact The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center at 508-507-8818 or staff@franklinpaincenter.com for more information or to set up an evaluation.

You were an active adult and an active senior up until recently. Arthritis aches and pains have been slowly getting worse and now you are at the point of being uncomfortable for most if not all of your day. But the worse part of your arthritis pain is that now, as a result of the pain, you can no longer work out, go for walks, or maintain that active lifestyle that you are used to.

With later stage, or more developed arthritis, often cortisone shots no longer work, and that was how you used to get temporary relief. Arthritis should not be allowed to take away your freedom and your health. Debilitating chronic arthritis pain allows age to creep up on you where you used to be able to hold it off through your activities and your active lifestyle.

The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center may be the solution to your arthritis pain. Our pain specialists have determined methods and treatments to minimize chronic arthritis pain. Contact us and get your life and your lifestyle back.

All Chronic pain treatments offered at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center are minimally invasive and are usually a good alternative to surgery. Chronic Pain Treatments can range from injections to stimulators, depending on the type of chronic pain the patient is suffering from.

For example, low back and radiating leg pain can be treated with Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections. Spine fractures caused by osteoporosis can be treated by a minimally invasive procedure called Kyphoplasty. Kyphoplasty provides fast back pain relief by using a thin hollow tube to insert a cast into a collapsed vertebrae and help straighten the spine. A procedure that can be very effective in relieving certain types of pain in the back, legs and arms is Spinal Cord Stimulation. This is also a minimally invasive procedure that uses electrical stimulation to mitigate pain sensations.

Our pain specialists will work with your doctors as a medical team to offer the best type of pain solution for your chronic pain. To schedule an evaluation and talk about the chronic pain treatments that are available at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center, please call (508) 507-8818 or e-mail us at staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

Muscle pain, or Myofascial pain syndrome is the pain and inflammation of the body's muscles or soft tissue. Usually a chronic condition, muscle pain can be isolated to a single muscle or consist of an entire muscle group. Often with muscle pain, referred pain occurs. This is when the area where a person experiences the pain may not be where the myofascial pain generator is located.

Muscle pain can be caused by injury or trauma, overuse, certain drugs, infections or certain illnesses. Generally, the pain is actually coming from the connective tissue that covers the muscles. Symptoms of muscle pain usually involve pain with specific "trigger" or "tender" points. Small bumps form on the connective tissue and pain is felt when these bumps are pressed in the areas where they come in contact with the muscle.

Muscle pain can vary in intensity, but chronic muscle pain can be debilitating. Muscle pain is treated through various techniques by our pain specialists and the most common is, trigger point injections. Trigger point injections are used to treat painful areas where knots of muscle or trigger points form when muscles do not relax.

Contact Franklin Pain Center for more information on the symptoms and treatment of chronic muscle pain.