Franklin Pain and Wellness Center

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.

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.

Fibromyalgia is a painful disease which not only causes widespread pain throughout your entire body; it also causes moodiness and fatigue. The moodiness and fatigue are most likely a result of the constant pain. With Fibromyalgia it is very difficult to operate on a personal level with day to day activities; the pain is too uncomfortable or you may just be too exhausted to try to “put your best foot forward”.

The pain and exhaustion from Fibromyalgia can often last for months. No one is exactly sure what causes fibromyalgia, but the typical Fibromyalgia symptoms is pain in the muscles and joints at the slightest touch.

Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Because Fibromyalgia has been linked to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, depression and anxiety, when mothers and wives suffer from this disease, entire families suffer.

Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, symptoms can be controlled. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures can help. There are various procedures that the pain specialists at Franklin Pain and Wellness Center can perform to ease the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Contact us to discuss your personal customized treatment plan.

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

Chronic pain specialists are doctors who are specially trained to manage chronic pain.  Usually, anesthesiologists are ideal doctors to manage pain since anesthesiology is a field that works to manage pain during otherwise painful procedures.  Surgery, labor and other painful procedures require temporary pain management, while other conditions require longer term or chronic pain management.  

Conditions like arthritis, back pain, muscle pain, nerve pain or even cancer pain require special pain management.  A pain specialist is able to assess the patient’s medical history, review symptoms and create a specific treatment plan to manage each individual’s pain.  

The pain specialist works in collaboration with other physicians in order to fully help the patient attain the most comfortable condition possible.  The goal of the pain specialist is to minimize medication dependency while increasing the patient’s comfort and quality of life.  Depending on the type and origin of pain, the pain specialist will perform minimally invasive procedures in order to minimize pain and increase the patient’s mobility and activity level.  

If you experience chronic pain, call The Franklin Pain Center at or e-mail us at staff@franklinpaincenter.com to schedule an evaluation.

CASE OF THE MONTH

Minimizing Medication Dependency of Difficult Chronic Pain Patients

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

Radiofrequency Ablation eliminates need for Canadian Crutches

Pain patient, Carlo, tells Franklin Pain Center...

"I have been in pain in my back, neck and legs since 1999. I had to use a cane and then had to use Canadian crutches to help me walk. I was always in pain and my activities were always shortened, not to mention the pain medication I was taking, which was not helping. Before going to Dr. Boris I was worried that I would get worse, but I had too much pain and my quality of life was limited. I couldn’t walk nor stand [for too long] before I had to sit. Even sitting for a long period of time was painful. Today I feel much better. I still have pain but nothing like before. I don’t use the cane nor do I use my Canadian crutches. After the nerve blocks my life is better, I’m more active and more mobile. I am so thankful to Dr. Boris and recommend the pain treatment to everyone. My life is so much better I am happier and now can enjoy myself with my family. My wife is happier also."

For a referral packet or to refer a patient using our referral form on our website go to franklinpaincenter.com/doctors

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.

Spinal Cord Stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure that controls chronic pain. A pain specialist will most likely first need to do a trial to understand if the Spinal Cord Stimulator is the best solution to manage your specific pain. During the trial, the pain specialist will place one or more leads in the area along the spinal cord. The placement area will depend on where your specific pain is.

The leads will also be connected to a trial generator. The pain specialist will use the trial generator to test your leads and make sure they are in the right place to treat your pain. You will be asked questions like:

• Do you feel a tingling sensation?
• Where do you feel the tingling?
• Does the tingling cover your pain?

By answering these questions, you will help make sure the leads are positioned well. The pain specialist will then show you how to use the trial generator to adjust the strength of the stimulator so you can experiment with what makes you comfortable. You will then be sent home to carry out your trial period with the Spinal Cord Stimulator.

At the end of your trial period, you and your pain specialist will determine if you should have a permanent system and which system would be appropriate for your pain. The pain specialist will consult and collaborate with your primary care physician and any other specialists you are under care of, to ensure that the best treatment plan is being carried out for you.

To schedule your initial evaluation to see if Spinal Cord Stimulation is a good solution for your chronic pain, please call (508) 507-8818 or e-mail us at staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

Pain specialists are doctors who treat pain, they specialize in pain medicine. Pain medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of pain.

Pain Specialists are experts at diagnosing the reasons and sources of pain and then treating that specific pain. Anesthesiologists usually specialize in pain management. This makes sense; this is the field that has the most experience managing pain during labor or surgery.

There are different types of pain and most have become treatable through medications, nerve blocks, physical therapy, electrical stimulations, surgery, and psychological support. Although drug dependency is a common worry, at Franklin Pain and Wellness Center we only use non-habit forming treatments and drug recommendations.

Research has led to the development of newer, more effective treatments for people who have pain. Methods and treatments have been developed to minimize or eradicate chronic pain such as lower back; neck; headaches; post herpetic neuralgia (shingles); reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD); maxillofacial pain and other chronic ailments.

Contact the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center for information or to book your consultation.

There are so many causes of pain. Many people feel the pain is untreatable, or the medication required is habit forming, not good for them, or causes side effects. Acute pain such as pain after surgery, recent injury, nerve damage musculoskeletal or an acquired medical illness that persists and evolves into chronic pain would require the involvement of a pain specialist.

The field of anesthesiology has long been known to manage pain associated with surgery or child labor. These specialists have now determined methods and treatments to also minimize chronic pain.

The pain specialists, nurses and anesthesiologists, at Franklin Pain and Wellness Center are specifically trained in pain management and will work with your primary care physician to establish the best course of treatment for you.
If you are living with chronic pain, or have been taking narcotics for chronic pain and are seeking an alternative, contact the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.