New Options For North State Residents With Chronic Pain
Redding, CA, October 26, 2020 — About one in five adults in the U.S. have some form of chronic pain, but traditional solutions are just not cutting it. From physical therapy to topical treatments, patients are looking for simpler ways to get back to feeling like themselves again. Many also want to avoid having to take so much medication. And who wouldn’t want to be relieved from constant pain? Daily activities that so many of us take for granted, such as walking the dog or preparing a meal are much more difficult when living with chronic conditions.
To help North State residents live pain-free, Dr. Forrest Monroe, a board-certified pain management physician at Shasta Orthopaedics, is offering a range of treatments that reduce pain while preserving range of movement and sensation.
Shasta Orthopaedics patient Rickie Radosevich wasn’t living his life to his fullest. Pain in his lower back was preventing him from spending quality time with his 12 year old son and was impacting his relationship with his loved ones. He had worked hard to get off of pain medications but the pain still limited his ability to play baseball and kickball with his son.
He met with Dr. Monroe and discussed doing an HF10 spinal cord stimulation trial for pain relief. In December of 2019, he had a successful trial and achieved a 75% reduction in pain. With this success, he went through with the permanent implant in January of 2020. He now has an 85% reduction in his lower back and keeps busy playing sports with his son outside! In addition to an overall improvement in activity he is also sleeping better, is more flexible and no longer having mobility limitations.
Independence without Invasive Surgery
Recently, new techniques in Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) have garnered national attention. A spinal cord stimulator is like a pacemaker for the spine, applying tiny electrical signals to block nerves from transmitting pain. Today, many chronic pain patients and their doctors worry about the risk of addiction. Dr. Monroe is passionate about lowering these odds while treating painful conditions as effectively as possible. One of the advances that Dr. Monroe is most excited about is HF10, which works better than older spinal cord stimulators and may even offer relief to patients who have already tried a spinal cord stimulator without relief. This allows patients to get back to enjoyable activities again, and has been shown in studies to reduce reliance on opioid pain medications.
With HF10 stimulation, Dr. Monroe has seen successful pain relief in 80- 90% of his patients. Perhaps the biggest advantage of spinal cord stimulation is the trial, which allows patients to “test-drive” the treatment before having anything permanently implanted. For patients who have excellent results from the trial, the implant procedure is done without a hospital stay, and minimal post-operative pain.
Who benefits from Spinal Cord Stimulation?
Dr. Monroe says spinal cord stimulators are best for patients with pain from damaged nerves, especially from prior back surgery. They are FDA-approved for chronic pain of the spine and limbs that has not responded to other measures, and are covered by most major insurance plans, including Medicare.
“I am excited to be able to offer my patients the latest pain treatments, including spinal cord stimulation using HF10 technology. If you are dealing with chronic pain, I have many options that can help. We will start with a conversation about your pain and how it affects you, then review or obtain tests such as an MRI to zero in on a cause for your pain, and discuss options.
There is no one size fits all approach, and I believe in providing education and working together to create a plan to treat your pain. Spinal cord stimulation is an amazing option for people dealing with chronic pain, and there is evidence to show that it can reduce reliance on medications, improve sleep and activity levels, and reduce pain in most patients who are candidates.” — Dr. Forrest Monroe
SCS Options for Local Patients
Patients who are tired of chronic pain are encouraged to contact Dr. Monroe to discuss their options for relief. He believes that no one should have to choose between managing their pain and enjoying their lives. As long as their insurance allows it, patients do not need a referral for an assessment and can request an appointment with Dr. Monroe directly at www.shastaortho.com/dr-monroe
They can also call (530) 246-2467 or visit www.shastaortho.com.
About Dr. Forrest Monroe
Dr. Monroe is a board-certified pain management physician specializing in advanced interventions for the non-opioid management of chronic back, neck, and knee pain at Shasta Orthopaedics. His specialties include nerve blocks, epidurals, radiofrequency ablation, kyphoplasty, and spinal cord stimulation.
Dr. Monroe received his BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Anesthesiology and his fellowship in Multidisciplinary Pain Management at the University of Kansas Health System.
About Shasta Orthopaedics
Shasta Orthopaedics is the largest orthopaedic and sports medicine practice in the North State region of California. Since 1993 it has offered a wide range of disciplines that take a complete approach to patient care. Its core services include advanced diagnostics, surgery, interventional pain management, physical medicine, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.