At Vertex Pain Physicians, we understand how pain can affect our patients’ lives. Whether you suffer from acute or chronic pain, we aim to provide individualized, effective care to help you regain mobility and improve your quality of life. Our expert team is here to provide personalized treatment plans to help alleviate your pain, improve mobility, and restore your quality of life.
Conditions
Back Pain
Acute and chronic back pain is one of the most prevalent medical problems. This type of pain affects millions of people a year. Back pain can arise from several underlying factors including muscle strain, overuse, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis.
Cancer Pain
Cancer pain can significantly affect a patient’s quality of life while worsening other symptoms caused by cancer or its treatment. The cause of this pain may come from either the cancer itself or the treatment of that cancer. This type of pain is one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms that many cancer patients face.
Cervical Radiculopathy
Commonly known as a “pinched nerve.” When a nerve in the neck (cervical spine) becomes compressed or irritated, it can cause radiating pain, numbness, or weakness in the shoulders, arms, and hands. Physical examination and imaging can pinpoint root causes and help patients return to a higher quality of life.
Chronic Abdominal Pain
A continuous discomfort or pain in the abdominal region lasting three months or longer. This chronic pain may be linked to underlying medical conditions or dysfunction in the body’s pain signaling pathways including gastrointestinal disorders, damage or irritation to abdominal nerves, and post-surgical scarring.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Despite being labeled as a disease, Degenerative Disc Disease is a progressive condition that can lead to pain and reduced mobility. It is caused by a loss of elasticity, hydration, and structural integrity in the cushioning between intervertebral discs due to natural wear and tear, aging, injury, or genetic factors.
Degenerative Joint Disease
The cartilage between joints serves as a cushion between bones, usually allowing smooth pain-free movement. Pain, inflammation, and stiffness can result when this cushioning breaks down due to wear and tear, aging, or injury. Degenerative Disc Disease is also known as osteoarthritis.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic Neuropathy, a type of nerve damage caused by chronic high blood sugar levels, is one of the most common complications of diabetes. This can affect nerves in several areas of the body and is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors.
Fibromyalgia
A chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain, tender points on the body, cognitive difficulties, and persistent fatigue. Fibromyalgia can lead to complications that significantly impact a person’s well-being. A combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors may contribute to its development.
Herniated Disc Pain
A herniated disc occurs when the soft center of an intervertebral disc protrudes through a tear in the tougher outer layer, pressing on nearby nerves. This can result in localized pain in the neck or lower back, radiating pain across the body, numbness, or weakness in the affected area.
Hip Pain
Hip pain includes discomfort or pain in the hip joint or in the nearby areas including groin, thigh, or buttocks. It may be caused by several factors but osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, tears, sciatica, fractures, and tendinitis are the most common.
Migraine Headaches
Migraines are a complex condition often characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity, visual disturbances, fatigue, or brain fog. These can last from a few hours to several days. Causes may include stress, anxiety, hormonal fluctuations, diet, sleep, and genetics.
Musculoskeletal Pain
Musculoskeletal pain can range from acute to chronic, persist for months or years, and is localized around the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. This pain can be both localized or more general, like fibromyalgia. Common causes are muscle strains and overuse injuries.
Neuropathic Pain
Damage or dysfunction in the nervous system can affect how nerves communicate with the brain. Unlike physical injuries or inflammation, neuropathic pain can persist even without an apparent cause, making diagnosis and treatment uniquely challenging.
Post-Surgical Back Pain
While some pain is a normal part of the post-surgery healing process, ongoing pain may be caused by failed back surgery syndrome, scar tissue, nerve compression, nerve damage, infections, or adjacent segment disease. Imaging and examination may help identify the cause, expediting recovery.
Post-Traumatic Pain
Persistent or chronic pain may indicate the nervous system is amplifying pain signals after the body has fully healed. Post-traumatic pain may result from acute injuries, surgical trauma, nerve damage such as complex regional pain syndrome, and psychological factors.
Sciatica Pain
Sciatica pain, or lumbar radiculopathy, occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed. The sciatic nerve extends from the lower back down into each leg and, when compressed can cause radiating pain, numbness, weakness, and burning sensations.
