Welcome to Pain Management Institute

To make an appointment for any of our locations, please call
  815.412.6166

All posts by admin

Comments Off on Here is The Guide to Musculoskeletal Pain!!

Here is The Guide to Musculoskeletal Pain!!

Posted by

Musculoskeletal pain, as its name suggests is basically a muscular pain that has its effect on the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. It can either be localized in one place or it can spread in other parts of the body. This pain can be felt by anyone out there, belonging to any age group be it the children, the office goers or the athletes.

The causes that lead to chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

The most common cause of a musculoskeletal pain is the injury that is occurred in the areas namely, bones, tendons, joints, muscles, ligaments or nerves. The injury to these areas often occurs because of some car accidents, falls, fractures, sprains, dislocation and the direct blows to the muscle.

Moreover, it has been reported that musculoskeletal pain due to overuse of the muscles has affected almost 33% of the adults. Because of overuse, lower back pain is said t be the most common type of musculoskeletal pain faced by many at work.

How to Know if it’s Musculoskeletal Pain or not?

Symptoms of this type of pain vary from person to person considering whether the pain is caused by some injury or the overuse of the joints. The common symptoms of musculoskeletal pain include:

  • Fatigue
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Twitching muscles
  • Stiffness and pain in the entire body
  • Either localized or widespread pain that becomes worse with the movement
  • The burning feeling in your muscles
  • Feeling that your muscles have become overworked or have become pulled

How is the Pain Diagnosed?

Your doctor will first examine your medical history thoroughly. He/she will also go through all the possible causes that might have lead to chronic musculoskeletal pain. Certain laboratory tests and x-rays will also be conducted in order to know about the pain in detail. These tests include:

  • Performing blood test to confirm whether its rheumatoid arthritis or not
  • To know about all the bones in details, x-rays are performed
  • For a further detail look on the bones, CT scans are performed
  • In order to examine in detail, the soft tissues such as muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons MRIs are performed

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on How Are Facet Joint Injections Helpful!!

How Are Facet Joint Injections Helpful!!

Posted by

If you are living with chronic manageable pain that is because of some facet syndrome or your arthritis condition; the problem that you are facing since months then facet joint injection is the only approach that will not only be a quick resolution but will also give you long term relief. The place where the pain is usually felt is said to be the lumbar facet joints which are described as the smaller joints located in the lower back and responsible for providing stability and motion to your spine.

Facet Joint Injections!

As a result of arthritis, some injury or mechanical stress, the patient starts experiencing pain in several areas that often result in the lower back, hip, buttocks or leg. There are several reasons considering which the facet joint injections are used such as, by placing numbing medicine into the joint as a result of which the amount of pain experienced in the joint is lessened. The facet joint injections also act as a medium for checking whether the pain is felt in the joints or not. If after the injection the pain is alleviated and the facet joints get numb then it means that these are working best for your pain.

Facet Joints prove to be very helpful

When facet joint injections are combined with local anaesthesia and cortisone based inflammatory medication then both the pain as well as the inflammation in the respective affected joint is alleviated. At the start of the procedure, a local anaesthesia is given to the patient, and then a small needle is injected into the specific facet joint. This medication is given under the fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance.  With anaesthesia the procedure becomes easier for the patients to tolerate.

The Expected Results

After the facet joint injection procedure is carried out, the patients start to experience relief in the pain on the second or third day. Moreover, it is recommended that you carry on with your routinely activities from the next day of the injection procedure and strenuous activities as well as driving on the day the procedure is carried out must be strictly avoided.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from facet syndrome or arthritis or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Top 4 Ways That Can Help Ease Your Arm Pain!

Top 4 Ways That Can Help Ease Your Arm Pain!

Posted by

The most common problem by which the athletes have to suffer is none other than the arm pain, making their arms sore thus leading to their absence from the most amazing matches they were looking forward for. Moreover, if the condition is not treated effectively then it can lead to a season ending injury or later making up the minds of the victims for a major surgery.

Apart from being an athlete, a housewife, a businessman, or a typist can also face a severe arm pain leading them to a vulnerable condition with decreased range of motion.

Ways that can Ease arm Pain

R.I.C.E

These are the four simple points that will help in treating the arm pain your own self. These are elaborated as:

Rest

Try taking rest most of the time, just to relax your muscles. Quit your everyday tasks or decrease the number of the tasks you carry on in a day.

Ice

Apply ice on the affected area that is the arm for at least 20 minutes.

Compression

In order to minimize the inflammation, wrap your arm with an ACE bandage.

Elevation

Keep the painful area elevated, at least above the level of your heart with the help of a pillow.

Massage

With massage therapy, the blood flow will be increased that can help in treating the inflammation as well as the stiffness of the muscles thus lessening the arm pain.

Strengthening the Shoulder

There are two important movements related to the shoulder that if followed properly can lessen the stiffness of the arm thus reducing the arm pain. The two important movements are described as:

Internal External Rotation

Use the bands or the dumbbells in a way that they are looped under the feet and upper arm. After this, rotate your hands such that they are in the level with the elbows.

Cuban Press

Pinch your shoulders while holding bands at the sides. While doing this try to pull up your weight in a way that the arm is parallel to the ground.

Good Sleep & Nutrition

In acute arm pain or in any other pain the most important measure that is sleep and good nutrition is often ignored. Focus on taking at least eight hours of sleep and spend your day eating fresh and whole foods as these will speed up your recovery process.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic arm pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Here is How You can Cope with Workplace Injuries!!

Here is How You can Cope with Workplace Injuries!!

Posted by

Injuries that occur at the workplace are very common as almost in a week or two complains are heard of small or major accidents on the workplace. In a broader perspective, in case or any auto or work injury from which the employees suffer brings direct loss to the business having a direct impact on the company’s performance, the medical expenses and the legal services.

A safe work environment is very important, not only for the betterment of a company but also for the safety assurance of the employees. Considering this aspect, we have highlighted some tips that if taken care by the management of the company, will give its employees full protection and prevention from unexpected injuries.

Follow the tips Below:

A Proper Safety & Wellness Plan

The basic thing for the protection from unexpected injuries is all about the awareness regarding the wellness program. The program should include all levels of safety and health for the employees such as encouraging them to report the hazardous places or practices at the earliest.

Educating the employees & the management Staff

Employees and the other staff should be trained thoroughly about the importance of all the safety measures that must be taken in order to prevent the cases of any work injury. The management should also cultivate a standard among the employees as well as the staff and provide training in body mechanics that will help in reducing strain injuries.

The pre-employment screening

In order to hire the people who are physically fit and fully capable, a pre-employment screening test is performed so to know about whether the employees would prove their best in terms of physical fitness and be highly experienced at the time of any workplace accident.

No Shortcuts

In case you know that the job can be completed in a shortcut manner, then also you must go for the proper instructions of the job as following the shortcuts can lead you to undue mishaps.

Protection Equipment

The office management should not only provide its employees the requisite protection equipments but should also inform them about their proper usage. The goggles, face protection, hand gloves, safety shoes, hard hats, ear plugs or ear muffs will save the employees from chronic work injuries.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from auto or work injury or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Here Are the Best Ways To Handle Back Pain!!

Here Are the Best Ways To Handle Back Pain!!

Posted by

Either as a result of some injury, considering the age factor or chronic back pain because of some heavy lifting, there are almost 80 percent of the Americans suffering from back pain. While there are the ones who chose to go for immediate check up and medical attention, there are also the ones who consider it mild and only chose to rest, thinking that it would benefit them.

Sometimes your routine demands some helpful activity such as strengthening exercises, or physical therapy that would help alleviate your condition. In order to focus on this, we have presented here some quick ways that will let you battle with back pain.

The Best Ways!!

Limit Your Bed Rest!

People usually do not know that resting and lying on bed for long hours can also contribute to chronic back pain. Studies also show that the people who rest more have a harder time in continuing the daily tasks and in staying active. Hence it is advised that people should avoid taking rest for more than three days.

A Good Posture

Poor posture if not today; will definitely show the damage it has caused within a short period of time. For instance, you might be gyming and experiencing acute back pain thinking that it might be because of the roughness and toughness in your muscles. But who knows it might be because of your poor posture that landed you in such situation.

Keep Exercising

The best medicine of back pain is staying active or remaining in activity. Exercises like walking would be very effective in such a situation. Hence a person should make stretching exercises a part of his routine as well as maintaining an upright and neutral position.

Applying Ice & Heat!

At the time of back pain, people must opt for either the method of icing or giving warmth to the area depending on what is making them feel comfortable. In case your back is injured, then applying ice would not only prevent swelling but will also alleviate the pain.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic back pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Here is How You can Cope With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)!!

Here is How You can Cope With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)!!

Posted by

The pain in the arms, legs, hands or feet that occurs as a result of some major or minor accident and is usually ignored after taking some over the counter medications, thinking that these would be enough to cure the pain. But if the pain as a result of some injury is not treated then it can worsen leading to complex regional pain syndrome. This term is said to be a condition that brings the pain after an injury or after some damage or malfunction that is caused to the peripheral and central nervous system.

What are the Symptoms of CRPS?

One most common symptom of complex regional pain syndrome is said to be the continuous pain intense pain in the affected limbs and becomes worse with the passage of time. The other symptoms include:

  • Disability in moving the affected joint
  • A burning excruciating pain
  • The affected joints become swollen and get stiffed
  • You may see changes in the pattern of nail and hair growth, either there is more or no hair growth at all.
  • Skin changes are observed when CRPS is faced. There is change in skin temperature either too warm or cold. The skin color changes to pale, purple or blotchy. The texture of the skin changes to shiny and thin etc

The Coping Strategies!

Knowing that you are facing complex regional pain syndrome, below strategies can followed:

Learn to Pace Yourself!!

You should be well aware of your body’s limit in performing the tasks. You should know which activity you can do for how much time. This way only, you will be able to decrease the burden on yourself. For instance if you have decided to wash the clothes then make sure that it is restricted one pile that oyu wash that would not cause stress on your body.

Relaxation

Stay informed about the relaxation exercises because those would be the techniques that will calm yourself and also slow down your nervous system. Learning a few relaxation exercises would help alleviate your pain associated with complex regional pain syndrome.

Distraction

Focus on distracting your attention from the pain that you are experiencing. In case the medication requires time to work, you can perform some other tasks at that time such as craft-work, painting, watching television, writing, knitting etc.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic complex regional pain syndrome or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Stay Informed About Arm Pain & The Tips to Prevent It!!

Stay Informed About Arm Pain & The Tips to Prevent It!!

Posted by

There is a discomfort in the structures of the arm pain that leads to chronic arm pain. This uneasiness felt in the arm might be because of the everyday use, the work injuries or as a result of the sports injuries. There may be some underlying causes such as chronic pain caused by tendon, local muscles or any acute joint injury. But in order to clearly understand the cause an accurate diagnosis of the condition plays a vital role.

The Common Causes of Arm Pain

Below mentioned are the common causes of arm pain:

  • Elbow Pain
  • Wrist Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Ligament Injury
  • Bursitis
  • Arthritis
  • Hand Pain
  • Muscle Pain
  • Tendonitis
  • Neck Pain

Explore The Best Ways To Treat It!!

When talking about athletes, we see that they are the people who have an extensive use of arms in their normal routine, whatever they play or in whatever game they are involved in. However, if the pain is not treated in a better manner then it can cause some serious issues or can lead to an uncontrollable pain.

Watch Out Your Diet!

The way your body functions, it solely depends on the type of diet a person takes. The type of diet you go through has a direct impact on the amount of pain you are experiencing. This is known as curing your arm pain with help of a balanced and required diet. For instance fruits like cherries and blueberries will help in comforting the sore muscles and assisting the body to recover it as quickly as possible.

Resting the Affected Area

Arm pain doesn’t only mean that it is simply pain in the arm that the person is facing. It might be because of some specific bones, muscles or tendons that might be leading to this pain. It is important to know the exact area. For say if it is the wrist then you must use a wrist brace for it that will keep the affected area in a resting position.

Tools for Soothing Pain

The devices that will help ease arm pain such as rollers, bands, or the objects that are designed for relaxing the pain in the arm should be used.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic arm pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on The Types, Symptoms & treatment Options for Musculoskeletal Pain

The Types, Symptoms & treatment Options for Musculoskeletal Pain

Posted by

Anyone, belonging to any age group can suffer from musculoskeletal pain affecting the bones, ligaments, tendons and nerves. The presence of such a pain in the body altogether makes a person fatigued and irritated as he gets tired soon and the body demands rest most of the time. This type of pain can be either localized or it is spread in the whole body.

This type of pain is usually caused y the overuse of muscles, repetitive movements and prolonged immobilization. In other cases, there might be some fracture, accident, fall, sprain dislocations, lifting of some heavy objects or the direct blows to the muscle can become the reason of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

The Different Types of Musculoskeletal Pain

The most common types of pain that come under musculoskeletal pain include:

Muscle Pain – This type of pain can occur due to loss of blood in some specific bone, infection, a tumor, an injury or some autoimmune reaction.

Bone Pain – This type of pain mostly occurs as a result of some injury. It is indeed deep and penetrating.

Fibromyalgia – the condition comes along with numerous symptoms and hence it is difficult to describe the pain felt in multiple locations.

Joint Pain – This type of musculoskeletal pain ranges from mild to severe and it can be stiff and debilitating. In such a condition the joints may also swell and the inflammation might lead to chronic pain.

Tunnel Syndromes – These are said to be the disorders that occur due in the case when the nerve gets compressed. The disorders comprise of carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome and tarsal tunnel syndrome.

The Symptoms

Here are the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain:

  • Twitching muscles
  • Disturbances in sleep
  • Fatigue
  • Localized or widespread pain
  • The feeling of stiffness in the entire body
  • Burning in your muscles
  • The feeling of overuse of the muscles

How the Pain Should be Treated?

  • Below treatment measures must be opted for musculoskeletal pain:
  • Using heat and cold
  • Acupuncture or acupressure
  • Reduction in workload and taking loads of rest
  • Exercises that would strengthen the muscles
  • Physical or occupational therapy

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on Here Are The Key Reasons Leading To Hip Pain!!

Here Are The Key Reasons Leading To Hip Pain!!

Posted by

Involved in certain different activities in a day, such as washing clothes, going out for grocery, driving the car, cleaning the garden etc we are usually unaware of the fact that our hip joint is the one that undergoes repeated motion in almost all of the day to day activities. People who have opted for various hip pain treatments should first and foremost know about the actual cause that has lead them to such a condition.

Being the body’s largest ball and socket joint it provides the body the fluid movement and also the easiness in whatever range of movement the body goes through. Now you can imagine that when your hip joint gets hurt or you are experiencing hip pain, how concerning it is, as you would not be able to move properly because there would be no easiness in your movement whatsoever.

Why You Hip Hurts?

In order to achieve and the best of the hip pain treatments, one should be fully aware of the reasons that can lead to chronic hip pain.

Hip Joint Friction – Friction starts to appear when the cartilage present in your hip joint starts to wear down or becomes damaged. Moreover, your hips will start hurting when the muscles and tendons in your hip are being overused that is subjected to repeated motion.

Arthritis – If you are an adult suffering from hip pain, then there are a number of chances that the reason might be osteoarthritis or arthritis. With arthritis, the patient experiences inflammation in the joints, due to which the cartilage in your joints starts to wear out.

Hip Bursitis – This is defined as a condition in which the fluid sacs that are present around your hip become inflamed.

Avascular necrosis – When the blood flow to the hip bone is reduced, the bone tissue dies in the hips and then this condition occurs. It can also occur in case of a fracture or dislocation.

Muscular Strains – When you are involved in activities that cause strain in your ligaments, muscles or tendons then there are chances that it can lead you to tendonitis.

In case you are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, then you must opt for the appropriate hip pain treatments.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from hip pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing hip pain treatments for the past several years with effective results.

Read More
Comments Off on The Reasons & the Treatment Options for Chronic Shoulder Pain!

The Reasons & the Treatment Options for Chronic Shoulder Pain!

Posted by

Shoulder pain can happen to anyone, be it a housewife, a businessman, a typist or school/college going individual. It is a very common complaint and brings with it the irritation of not being able to perform the usual tasks smoothly. In case, you went through an accident a day or a week before, this means that there might be an injury in your shoulder due to which you are facing the pain. In such a situation, you should definitely pay a visit to a pain management specialist.

The reasons of Shoulder Pain

There are certain medical reasons because of which shoulder pain can occur. These are elaborated as under:

Heart Attack

Though the problem is said to be associated with the heart, it causes shoulder or neck pain which is altogether known as referred pain.

Bursitis

Known as a sac, the work of bursitis is to act as a cushion between the joints and the muscles. As a result of some injury due to an accident, the bursae can become swollen, stiff and painful.

Broken shoulder blade

An injury to this part of the body, is usually associated with some forceful trauma. Leading to a fractured bone such as the upper arm or the collarbone, this condition brings with it chronic shoulder pain.

Rotator Cuff Injuries

Shoulder pain can also be felt in the situation, when the tendons (rotator cuff is said to be a group of tendons) are injured while playing, lifting, throwing a ball or by performing some repetitive activity.

Tendonitis

These are supposed to connect the muscles with the bones. In the situation when stress is experienced in a shoulder the tendons swell following the chronic pain.

Whiplash Injury

In case of sudden acceleration or deceleration in a car accident, whiplash injury can occur that has a direct impact on the structures of the neck and the shoulder thus leading to chronic shoulder pain.

What are the treatment options?

In order to cure shoulder pain the treatment options include:

  • Pain killers
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Physiotherapy
  • Surgery
  • The use of ice packs
  • Avoiding the activities that can contribute towards chronic shoulder pain
  • Arthrographic distension

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

Read More