Blog Archive

Not only is it possible to have neck arthritis, but you may have it without even knowing it. While most people know that the knees, hands, and hips are common joints affected by arthritis, fewer people are aware that arthritis can affect any joint in the body, including the discs...

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe debilitating condition that typically affects the limbs following a physical trauma. The most common symptoms are extreme pain, edema, loss of range of motion, temperature fluctuations, and skin changes. Although CRPS can occur anywhere in the body, it most commonly affects the...

Experiencing pain in your neck, back, or limbs can understandably cause stress and concern, especially when you're unsure if it's a pinched nerve or a strained muscle causing the discomfort.  Both issues are common, yet they differ in their causes, symptoms, and the way they impact your body. When you’re...

Cortisone injections can be a highly effective way to relieve pain and inflammation associated with various conditions, such as arthritis, spinal issues, and injuries. However, like any medical treatment, they require some aftercare for best results.  Knowing how long to rest after receiving a cortisone injection can significantly impact your...

  When you hear the term “epidural," you may immediately think of labor and delivery. While epidurals are widely known for providing pain relief during childbirth, their use extends far beyond the delivery room.  The team here at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland, offers a range of...

Pregnancy is a time of joy and anticipation, but it can also bring its own set of physical challenges. Sciatica is part of a common list of pregnancy aches and pains. It causes a shooting pain to radiate from your lower back, down your leg, and it happens seemingly out...

Over 20% of US adults are dealing with persistent pain, a frustrating situation that tends to chip away at quality of life. While it can seem as if there’s nothing you can do to make things better when you’re living with pain, research shows there are lifestyle factors that can...

Back pain varies from person to person and back pain problems become more common as you age. Lifestyle adjustments and back pain treatments can help relieve back pain. However, when you have a poor back, making a few blunders can interfere with pain relief.  The dedicated pain management physicians at...

Untreated pain, whether acute, or chronic, can prevent you from doing the things you enjoy, interfere with work productivity, and disrupt your sleep, among other things. While over-the-counter and prescription medication can provide significant pain relief, it’s important to determine whether pain medication is the right course of action.  The...

More than 50 million people in the US live with chronic pain. Characterized as pain that lasts at least three months or more, chronic pain can make work and daily activities challenging, and prevent you from living your life fully.  Traditional pain management techniques sometimes fall short of providing lasting...

At any given time, it’s estimated that around 50 million people in the US are living with chronic pain. This often debilitating condition impacts not only physical health but also mental and emotional well-being.  While medication is a common solution for pain relief, it’s wise to discuss all of your...

More than 50 million adults report experiencing pain every day or on most days. Opioid medications are a common pain management treatment, but they aren’t the only option. There are effective approaches to managing pain without opioids, and the skilled pain experts at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville, and Frederick,...

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be much more than just a nuisance. For those living with it, carpal tunnel can significantly disrupt your daily life. It can trigger pain when carrying out normal daily activities like typing. If you're struggling with carpal tunnel, consider exploring treatment options. Rely on the skilled...

Herniated discs can be incredibly painful and debilitating. The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent this condition from occurring again. When it comes to preventing and managing herniated discs, it’s essential to seek guidance from professionals. The dedicated providers at Pain Management Specialists have treated...

If you or someone close to you is grappling with cancer, pain management is likely a top priority. The journey with cancer is filled with numerous challenges, and one of the most daunting is the pain that often accompanies the illness. Here at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland, we...

Rheumatoid arthritis is more than just occasional joint pain; it's a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. For many, it’s a daily struggle to perform even the simplest tasks without discomfort.  While oral medications and lifestyle changes can offer relief, sometimes a more direct intervention...

Living with a pinched nerve can feel like an endurance test of coping with pain, numbness, and weakness. But, can they resolve on their own, or is medical intervention necessary? The answer isn’t always clear-cut, and it often depends on a number of factors. At Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick,...

Navigating your spinal health can be overwhelming, especially if you’re dealing with a condition like spinal stenosis. At Pain Management Specialist in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland, we believe in empowering our patients with knowledge about their conditions and the available treatment options.  Spinal stenosis, which is a condition characterized by a narrowing...

There's no need to feel powerless in your struggle with sciatica pain. With the right tools, strategies, and professional guidance, you can regain control and ease your discomfort right from the comfort of your own home.  Our providers at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland, are passionate about empowering patients with knowledge...

A vertebral compression fracture can be debilitating. It’s a small break in one or more of the bones that make up your spine, and it can cause severe pain and limit mobility. Traditional treatments for vertebral compression fractures typically involve bed rest, pain medication, and physical therapy. While these treatments...

4 Telltale Symptoms of Sacroiliitis You have two sacroiliac joints — one on each side of your lower spine — and they connect your spine to your pelvis. These joints serve as shock absorbers and help decrease stress on your pelvis and spine. If one or both of these joints...

The number of people working from home is rising as more companies offer remote positions. However, the recent rise in remote work has brought with it an unexpected issue: neck pain. Unfortunately, the condition is so common that a name has been coined to describe it. It’s called “tech neck.”...

Roughly 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, and it isn’t always simple or easy to treat it. High-impact chronic pain is a more debilitating type of pain that interferes with an individual's ability to participate in employment, social activities, and daily living activities. The team at Pain Management Specialists...

If you’re dealing with chronic pain in your neck, back, or joints, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an option to consider. Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive pain management treatment that can help you get relief from a variety of chronic pain conditions.  Radiofrequency ablation works best as part of a...

The sacroiliac (SI) joints connect your pelvis with your lower spine. Most of the time, these joints cause no problems. However, during pregnancy, these joints can become inflamed due to their increased mobility. In fact, SI joint pain is the top cause of pregnancy-related low back pain.  If you’re struggling...

Back pain can range from a continuous, dull ache to a stabbing or shooting feeling that can hurt more than just your body. Going to work or even performing typical everyday tasks can become challenging or even unbearable. While many people have found relief from back pain through surgery, this...

Sciatica pain is usually hard to ignore. It shoots down the lower back, causing a radiating pain that can stop you in your tracks. If you’re plagued with sciatica pain, getting relief is key to restoring your quality of life. Stuart Hough, MD, and Ramani Peruvemba, MD, and our team here at Pain...

For most people with chronic pain, finding relief is a journey that involves trying multiple approaches and a combination of treatments until an effective solution is found. Seeing a pain management specialist is the first step in that process. Pain management physicians specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating pain, and...

Significant progress has been made in our understanding of how pain is perceived and how the nervous system responds to different pain management approaches. As a result, novel devices are available that offer many people much-needed relief and an improved quality of life. Neuromodulation is a fast-evolving area of medicine that...

A pinched nerve occurs when surrounding tissues compress a nerve. Nerves normally branch from the spinal cord through hollow spaces between the vertebrae. Problems can occur if the space becomes narrow or if something protrudes into the space. A variety of issues can cause pinched nerves, such as a herniated disc. In...

Today, older adults are more active and expect more out of life. From traveling to hiking to biking, older adults are striving to live life to the fullest. Good health is essential to maintaining an active lifestyle, and your spine is vital to movement. At Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick,...

Sciatica's sharp, shooting nerve pain can stop you in your tracks. It occurs when something irritates your sciatic nerve. This usually leads to pain that radiates from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down one leg. You can develop sciatica at any age, but the risk usually increases with...

Arthritis is a group of painful joint conditions that cause swelling and stiffness in joints. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, and they affect nearly 60 million Americans. Living with arthritis has its challenges, but with the help of a dedicated health care team, you can effectively manage arthritis...

If you’ve ever had a gout flare, you know how the pain can wake you out of your sleep and interfere with your daily life. When the radiating heat strikes, you need to act fast to manage the flare. The good news is gout is one of the easiest types...

For the 50 million people in the United States living with chronic pain, the path to relief is often time-consuming and fraught with frustration. Pain is a complex health issue. The causes vary widely, and pain affects each person differently. It can take time to find the right treatment or...

An unprecedented number of us are finding ourselves not only juggling home life, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, also working from home. As you find yourself plugging away in your home office, you may notice aches and pains cropping up in your neck and back. A less-than-ideal desk setup, combined...

Relief from chronic pain means finding the right treatment or combination of treatments, so you can effectively manage your symptoms and lead a good quality of life. A nerve block is one treatment used to provide relief from chronic pain. It works by disrupting nerve activity, which stops pain signals...

For individuals with diabetic neuropathy, dealing with pain is a part of daily life. If you're struggling with diabetic neuropathy that hasn't responded to conventional treatment alone, there is hope. The board-certified interventional pain management physicians at Pain Management Specialists offer the latest advancements in pain treatment. For patients with...

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is commonly used to treat chronic neck and back pain. RA uses a special needle that delivers radiofrequency waves to nerves that are causing pain, providing fast and lasting pain relief.  The team at Pain Management Specialists here in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland provide individualized pain management...

A pinched nerve happens when surrounding structures compress a nerve or group of nerves, causing pain, and abnormal sensations, such as numbness and tingling and sometimes weakness . A pinched nerve can occur anywhere in your body. Injury, age-related changes to your musculoskeletal system, and lifestyle habits such as too...

When it comes to joint pain, prompt treatment can limit symptoms, reduce disability, and improve quality of life. Arthritis is the most common cause of joint pain, which affects millions of people in the United States.  Here at Pain Management Specialists, board-certified interventional pain management physicians Stuart Hough, MD, and...

Narrowing of the spinal canal is a common and often debilitating cause of lower back pain. If you’re struggling with back pain, visiting a pain specialist for a thorough evaluation and diagnosis is the first step to getting the relief you need. At Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick...

Chronic back pain significantly interferes with work performance and quality of life and is the most common reason people visit their doctor. It’s often challenging to treat and is the leading cause of disability. There’s good reason to consider radiofrequency ablation (RFA) if you’re dealing with ongoing back pain. This...

Not only can cancer itself cause pain, but treatments to combat cancers like chemotherapy and radiation can cause mild to severe pain. Not everyone with cancer has pain, but if you do there are treatment options to help achieve pain relief. Board-certified interventional pain management physicians Stuart Hough, MD, and...

Living with neuropathic pain can take a huge toll on your quality of life. Even straight forward neuropathic disorders often require some trial and error to find the most effective treatment to manage your symptoms. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have failed to achieve relief in the past, there are...

If you have chronic pain resulting from conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), you may have considered spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to relieve your pain. SCS helps patients with CRPS and other types of nerve pain get significant pain relief and achieve better functioning and improved quality of...

There’s a reason why sciatica has such a reputation for causing pain in your lower back, hips and buttocks, and down the length of one leg. Your sciatic nerve affects a large portion of the bottom half of your body, and when it gets compressed, it becomes irritated and inflamed,...

Have you been living with chronic pain? Depending on your condition, you may benefit from an epidural injection.  Here’s how it works: The epidural space in your spine is between your vertebral wall and the dura mater (the membrane surrounding your spinal cord). This area is filled with fatty tissue...