Pain Management Program
Many people suffer with chronic pain, sometimes related to illness or injury, often due to causes not yet identified. For some pain is a side effect of medical treatment while for others it is related to aging, injury or stress. Regardless of the cause our Integrative Pain Management program provides holistic support, treatment and solutions.
Pain Conditions We Treat
People with a variety of issues may benefit from the integrative pain management program, including those with chronic pain (such as neck and low back pain, headaches and jaw pain, neuropathy) and diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer and others. Specialized pain management treatments are available for occupational-related pain conditions (such as office workers, athletes and performing artists) as well as other repetitive stress injury. The Pain Management Program also offers palliative treatment and symptom management for end-of-life.
Integrative Pain Management Services We Offer
Our Integrative Program for Pain Management taps a variety of healing modalities, to bring about change and improve the quality of your life. Whether your pain is transitory or constant, whether your condition is curable or chronic, we are here to help you feel better, in every way we can. Your personalized pain-management program may include any or all of the following treatment modalities:
Lifestyle counseling to include self-acupressure to treat and prevent symptoms
Learn more about how acupunture can help relieve back and neck pain. » Go
We are a consultative out-patient service, working in collaboration with you and your medical team. You may call and schedule an appointment for integrative pain management consultation or make arrangements through your referring physician, whatever is easiest. The first appointment is a comprehensive interview, where we learn as much as we can about your medical condition, your goals, energy level and lifestyle. Our doctors will develop an individualized pain management program to address and relieve your pain, along with a treatment strategy and a plan for follow-up care. We'll continue to communicate regularly with your doctors throughout the process.
Treatment for Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) affects millions of Americans, 85 to 90% of whom are women. Experts are unsure as to what causes women to suffer from this chronic condition that results in pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons and joints. If you have any of these symptoms, speak with your
primary care physician or rheumatologist.
Beyond the pain itself, FMS can have a major impact on a woman’s health, particularly with regard to the following:
- Reproductive Health—Studies have indicated that women with FMS are more likely to have reproductive health-related diagnoses. It can also impact a woman’s sexuality, particularly her libido.
- Pregnancy—Women with FMS tend to have more severe pregnancy symptoms including greater stiffness, pain and fatigue.
- PMS—There is also a link between FMS and the severity of a woman’s premenstrual syndrome symptoms. This might mean more severe headaches, insomnia, back pain, abdominal cramping and possibly greater emotional upset.
- Menopause—FMS tends to be diagnosed in women most often between age 40 and 55, and this can coincide with the average onset of menopause. Post-menopausal women can also experience more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders due to decreased estrogen levels.
Stamford Hospital’s Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness provides holistic support, treatment and solutions for women with FMS through its Pain Management Program. Dr. Marc Brodsky, the Center’s Medical Director, oversees this program, which is designed to improve the quality of life for patients with functional pain-related symptoms. He has treated hundreds of female FMS patients since the program’s inception.
Fibromyalgia can have devastating effects on a person’s employment, social life and self-esteem. “By modifying lifestyle habits and finding joy in life, a patient may get relief from her symptoms and improve her quality of life. Sometimes, even small changes in lifestyle can help restore the patient’s resiliency,” adds Dr. Brodsky.
»Listen to a podcast of Dr. Brodsky speaking about treatment of Fibromyalgia.
Dr. Brodsky talks to News12 about treatment of Fibromyalgia.
A Patient Story
Relief from FMS Pain: “It Changed My Life!”
“I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome back in the 1990s. I looked fine but was in pain all the time. Unfortunately, since it was still relatively new, there was not much anyone could do about it.”
These are the words of Lynda Soltis of Eastchester, NY , whose life has been severely impacted because she suffers from FMS. It has impacted her ability to work, shop, drive, socialize and even eat.
“Fibromyalgia took my life away. At times every nerve in my body felt like it was attached to an electrical shock wave and set on fire. But I couldn’t articulate it and other people simply didn’t understand.”
Besides the constant fatigue, she started to experience the “brain fog” associated with FMS. She was still working at the time and admits she really had to concentrate to keep focused and sometimes to even say the correct words. “I tried and tried for so long. I thought I could do anything I put my mind to, but the pain and fibro fog was starting to take over. Then one day I just couldn’t do it any more. I left my job and was really at a low point.”
Fast-forward to last March when Soltis was referred to Dr. Marc Brodsky at the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness. She started receiving trigger point injections once a week, two in her neck and two in her back, and before long began to feel better. “This has changed my life tremendously. Even pain that I had for so long, that other doctors told me would never go away, is gone!”
Today Soltis sounds hopeful and is grateful to have more of her life back. She may still have not-so-good days, but hopes she can help educate others about the effects of fibromyalgia and, in doing so, serve as an advocate for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Our hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To contact us with questions or to make an appointment please call 203-276-4777.
For more information or to make an appointment please call
1-877-233-WELL (9355).