Pain Care Associates

The Back or Neck Pipeline

2012-02-29T06:52:00.002-08:00

Many of the patients we treat on the DRS Protocol have a similar story of how they have sought treatment in the past for their disc problem.

1. Their pain or injury begins: neck/back pain, numbness/tingling in arms/legs, sciatica, etc.
2. They see their family doctor and are given muscle relaxers or pain medication.
3. After that doesn't work, they are referred for physical therapy.
4. While they physical therapy helps some, the pain is still present and severe, the patient is then referred to a specialist, such as an orthopedist.
5. Patient has diagnostic imaging such as MRI or CAT scan on neck or back.
6. Orthopedist will order series of injections in the neck or back and have patient continue taking medication.
7. Epidural, or injections in the neck or back, take place. Painful and invasive procedure that gives temporary relief.
8. After pain continues for a period of time and nothing else has helped, the orthopedist will often recommend surgery, which may consist of trimming the disc or fusion of the spine in that area.
9. Patient may have some temporary relief or decrease in the amount of pain after surgery. In about 70-80% of patients that have spinal surgery, the same type of pain usually returns in 3-5 years.
10. If pain persists after surgery, then pain management is recommended. This could include an implanted spine stimulator, continue taking medication and shots in the neck or back, or nerve ablation(a procedure where the nerve is destroyed).
11. Pain continues to persist. Patient told to live with the pain.

If this sounds familiar, there is another option! You may be a candidate for the DRS Protocol. We hear stories like this from our patients all the time. The DRS Protocol is successful where other treatments fail.

Call our office today to schedule an appointment to see if you are a candidate for the DRS Protocol.

Little Rock: 501-223-3314
Benton/Bryant: 501-315-6390

paincarelr.com

What Type of Patients We Treat With the DRS Protocol

2012-02-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

We treat patients on the DRS Protocol that have disc problems in their neck or back. These patients usually experience neck/back pain, numbness/tingling in arms/legs, weakness in arms/legs, sciatica(or pain that radiates down the back of the leg), and failed back surgery syndrome.

The patients that we usually treat have been to 3-4 other doctors with no relief. They are then told that surgery is their only option. The thing is that surgery on the neck or back only has about 20-30% success rate. That means that within 3-5 years, 70-80% of the patients that had neck or back surgery will have the problem return in some form.

Our patients that we treat are tired of living in pain. They are scared that their condition is permanent and that they have no hope of getting better.

Check out some of our testimonials from patients that were treated with the DRS Protocol.

If their story sounds familiar to you, give us a call so that we can schedule an appointment for you to see if you are a candidate for the DRS Protocol.

Little Rock: 501-223-3314
Benton/Bryant: 501-315-6390

Can I Be Treated with the DRS Protocol if I Have Had Spinal Surgery

2011-11-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

Even if you have already had surgery on your spine, you may still be a candidate for the DRS Protocol. In fact, a majority of our patients have had one or more surgeries on their neck or back. These surgeries include discectomies, laminectomies, and fusion surgery, and micro-discectomies. We have also treated patients that had a good outcome from surgery for a period of time but then did not want to undergo another procedure. Not everyone is a candidate for the DRS Protocol. After a detailed consultation and exam, our doctors will know if you a candidate. If you have had a specific question about this subject, please go to our website at paincarelr.com.

You may also contact our office at 501-223-3314.

How to Diagnose a Herniated Disc

2011-10-06T06:05:00.001-07:00

Diagnosis is made by the doctors in our office with a complete history of the patient which will cover your symptoms and how the pain started. A detailed physical examination is then performed. Tests performed in your physical examination will include: neurological exam, muscle strength testing, orthopedic testing, range of motion testing, and a chiropractic examination. The doctor may perform x-ray films of the area of complaint and/or order a MRI.

Based upon all the information gathered, our doctors will know if you have disc problem. We then will be able to discuss with you treatment options to help get you out of pain.

For more information, call us at:
Little Rock 501-223-3314
Benton/Bryant 501-315-6390

Visit us at: www.paincarelr.com

What Causes a Disc to Herniate?

2011-10-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Disc herniations can result from general wear and tear, such as when performing jobs that require constant sitting. However, herniations often result from jobs that require lifting. Traumatic (quick) injury to the lumbar discs commonly occurs when lifting while bent at the waist, rather than lifting with the legs while the back is straight. Minor back pain and chronic back tiredness are indicators of general wear and tear that make one susceptible to herniation on the occurrence of a traumatic event, such as bending to pick up a pencil or falling.

For more information contact Pain Care Associates at:

Little Rock 501-223-3314

Benton 501-315-6390

www.paincarelr.com

What is a Herniated Disc?

2011-09-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

A spinal disc herniation, informally and misleadingly called a "slipped disc", is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring (annulus fibrosus) of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion (nucleus pulposus) to bulge out. Tears are almost always posteriolateral in nature. This tear in the disc ring may result in the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which may directly cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression.

Some of the terms commonly used to describe the condition include herniated disc, prolapsed disc, ruptured disc and the misleading expression slipped disc. Other terms that are closely related include disc protrusion, bulging disc, pinched nerve, sciatica, disc disease, disc degeneration, and degenerative disc disease.

Go to www.paincarelr.com to find out more about how our office treat herniated discs or call us at 501-223-3314.

The DRS Protocol

2011-09-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

The DRS™ Protocol is a non-surgical, drug-free, painless treatment for Low Back Pain & Neck Pain that allows you to keep working and doing the things you enjoy. It has shown to be a very Successful Alternative to Surgery, Drugs and other Pain Management techniques. This is a proprietary protocol, and only practiced by Dr. Dwight Stewart and Dr. Kris Dixon in central Arkansas.

Using the best, cutting edge technology & equipment available to U.S. doctors, Pain Care Associates is able to offer a new alternative to people suffering from cervical or lumbar pain. Through the use of this protocol and equipment, Dr. Stewart and Dr. Dixon have been able to decompress the disc that have herniation, bulging or degeneration.

DRS™ simply stands for: Decompression – Reduction – Stabilization

To break this apart, we start by introducing axial (distractive) force to the injured disc creating negative pressure and ultimately re-introducing nutrients, water, and oxygen back into the disc to help heal the injury. This process uses a repetitive decompression of positive/negative pressures that help to reduce the pressure in the disc and retract the herniated core of the disc from the nerves. Finally, we work with our patients – even after the pain is gone – to stabilize the condition making it less likely to return.

We focus on the problem at the disc level, where other therapies only target the symptoms and not the cause of the problem. Using precise instruments, computers, and computerized belting systems target that disc for healing – without surgery, pain or drugs!