PAIN MANAGEMENT SERVICES

We are dedicated to the treatment of your PAIN. Pain is the single most important symptoms in a variety of diseases. This problem, one which is capable of ruining your body and soul, one which can challenge your relationship with your family and friends, one which can destabilize you financially and socially doesn't have to go unchallenged.

Pain doesn't flow logically from your underlying illness. On occasions advanced signs of disease do not cause complaints, while in other cases reasonably mild diseases can cause severe problems.

We specialize in chronic pain and in particular focus on symptoms related to the ailments of the spine. The initial appointment is most often spent analyzing and discussing most of the aspects of your pain problem and honestly explaining if we can or cannot offer help and if so, to what extent. For this reason, scheduling and attending to an initial appointment does NOT necessarily mean that we are committed to treat you, or we will necessarily prescribe medications to you. However, our initial conference gives an opportunity to get acquainted with the nature of the problem(s) and to lay the groundwork for making informed decision what can be done. This initial appointment also gives the patient a chance to get to know us and our philosophy and decide if they wanted to be treated with us or not.

We offer procedural treatment wherever it is applicable, along with adjuvant therapies. We consult and follow patients treated medically only, but at the present point we cannot offer monthly prescription service. As such, you must have a PCP or other doctor to write prescriptions for you. We mostly see more complex medical treatment cases.

We have the patience and empathy to listen to you problems and knowledge to evaluate them. After a thorough exam we can tell you candidly what we can do. However, we might need more testing (imaging, labs, consults, etc) before forming an opinion. If we cannot offer treatment usually can advise patient as to who can. In some cases we can refer one to a specialist offering a service what we don't.

Of course we cannot accomplish anything without active participation of the patient. Even the best treatment fails if the instructions are not followed. Our success requires your cooperation and participation. We can't simply and unilaterally be the ones to "take away (your) pain". Instead, we must find a successful way to work together to restore function and well being as much as possible.

WHAT TYPES OF PAIN ARE TREATED?

• Back and neck pain caused by herniated bad disks, pressure on nerves, like sciatica, spine arthritis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, after surgery problems
• Complex regional pain syndrome (AKA; CRPS I and II, reflex sympathetic dystrophy; RSD)
• Muscle and joint pain/extremity pain
• Shingles/postherpetic neuralgia, neuropathies
• Certain headaches, related to neck problems, occipital neuralgia, etc.

PROCEDURES

• Epidurals (cervical/thoracic/lumbar/caudal), Transforaminal Blocks,
• Continuous Partially Implanted Epidurals
• Percutaneous Lysis of Adhesions,
• Facet (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) Nerve Blocks, Joint injections, RF Rhizotomies
• Joint/Bursa and Trigger Point Injections
• Peripheral and Intercostal Nerve Blocks, Intercostal Neurolysis
• Greater Occipital Nerve Blocks
• Sympathetic Ganglion Blocks and RF Rhizotomies (cervical, lumbar)
• Discography

Most of our procedures are done in our office under fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance. Some of our procedures, mainly the ones requiring special equipment or anesthesia, are done in one of the area hospitals. We can offer sedation in our office too.

Our staff is dedicated to helping chronic pain sufferers to get relief and become whole and functional again. We take pride in what we do and how we assist our patients to regain their active and vital lives. (So please call us if you feel better!) Our goal is, to provide accurate and credible information about diagnostics and treatment, also educating you about your condition and progress. We strive to be open and accessible for your questions regarding your problems. It is understood however, that we cannot manage all problems entirely via phone.

OUR STAFF

Ike A. Boka, MD

Ike has been an anesthesiologist since 1976. He established this Pain Management Service that is a subsidiary of the Adult Medicine, PC in 2001. He has previous pain management experience as well. One of his mentors was Professor Gabor Racz, MD, a well known prominent figure of the US pain management. He is a diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and member of several societies (ISIS, ASIPP,AAPM, IPPM,and ASA). He is still doing PT anesthesia once a week and on some weekends, but dedicated primarily to the pain management.

Teresa Fiminski, LPN

Teresa is a staff nurse of the pain practice. She has extensive pain management experience with Dr.Richlin, a well respected anesthesiologist/pain practitioner before, and has been with us since 2003. She is the liaison with insurance companies and patients alike. She trains to use TENS units and other modalities.

Motto: DON'T GIVE UP! WORK WITH US!

Insurance:

We accept most major insurance plans. Referral is required from your primary care provider. Also accept workers Compensation and No Fault cases.

NEW PATIENTS:

Now accepting new patients by appointment only. Speak with Lauren Straub our Office Manager to schedule yourself an appointment at 438-4700.

Sonya Stratis, CMA is mostly works with the patients of the Internal Medicine, but often helping us with our pain patients.

Janine Rogers is our billing specialist.

See our picture tour about our place and us! Please give feedback; we would like to hear from you!

E-MAILS:

We are not ready yet to provide scheduling via E-mails, as of now. Because of potential technical glitches, volatility of the electronic information exchange and privacy issues we are not providing you with the opportunity to leave your E-mail address at this site. Do not leave notes, results or messages requiring response at this site. Because of the above concerns and potential delays of the timely answers, we encourage you to use the phone and mail as communication channels for your important/private/time sensitive (urgent) matters. We do not commit ourselves to look up the electronic messages (any E-mail messaging) on a daily basis.