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Home | Medical-Newswire.Com: Search Medical News: Press Releases | Submit Press Release | The Truth About The Pain Crisis in the US (EMAILWIRE.COM, December 24, 2009 ) Fort Lauderdale, FL - In this month’s TRUTH ABOUT SERIES we examine THE TRUTH ABOUT the often ignored pain crisis in the US. By Sheila Danzig There is a pain crisis in America today. Desperate, countless numbers of people are seeking treatment for pain, not understanding its source, and where to turn for help. Unresolved pain issues have caused higher insurance premiums, made the work force less productive, and tarnished the "golden years" of retirement. Many physicians are also befuddled as to which treatment options to pursue, while narcotic use has become rampant. For the answers, we look to a new book on the subject, “WHAT A PAIN. A Doctor's Guide to Understanding and Treating Pain.” This book is written by the highly acclaimed pain management physician, Gary Saff, M.D, and offers unique perspectives and insights into solving this dilemma. It is available on Amazon.com, Kindle, and at BarnesandNobel.com There are many approaches to treating pain. Back pain is the most common pain complaint. Dr. Saff likes to view the topic of "pain" as a big pie, cut into various slices; the slices represent various treatment specialties with proficiency and knowledge in treating pain. One slice, or subcategory of treatment, is physical therapy, while others include medical management, surgery, chiropractic care, psychological therapies, alternative medicine, and minimally invasive interventional procedures. It is good common medical practice to start with the most conservative techniques first, before progressing to the more aggressive and costly procedures. When there are numerous treatment specialties for pain, then why is there a pain crisis? Sometimes in this progression of treatment, things may go wrong; perhaps patients are prescribed too much of one treatment, or are not adequately exposed to others. Patients may start off on the long, arduous road of narcotics to relieve pain, inadvertently leading to an addiction in the absence of effective pain relief, when physical therapy, stress management or simple injections would do the job. Surgery and other therapies may be tried too early or too late in attempts to get the patient comfortable and functional again. A pain management specialist is exposed to, and is knowledgeable in all the nuances of pain control. Dr. Saff has unique, extensive training in surgical approaches to pain, interpretation of MRI's and x-rays as they relate to the patient's complaint, medical management, acupuncture, and minimally invasive interventional techniques. Moreover, he is well connected in the medical community to refer a patient to the top specialists in various fields when needed. The pain specialist fits the correct treatment to the correct patient; this is more of an art than a science, gained after 20 years of practice. Dr. Saff has this unique touch, a way of understanding the patient and using the appropriate resources in the community, to maximally benefit the patient. He has directed pain management centers for his entire career, including in highly recognized hospitals such as Columbia University and the Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, as a pain interventionalist, he is able to use the latest technology to pinpoint and cure the patient through minimally invasive techniques, avoiding the expense of chronic medical management or surgery. Dr. Saff can be contacted through this practice, Integrated Pain Solutions of South Florida at 954-772-7552 or via the web at http://www.ipssf.com. Integrated Pain Solutions Gary Saff, MD 954-772-7552 garysaff@yahoo.com Source: EmailWire.com