Blog

• Rush First in Midwest to Implant Next-Generation Spinal Cord Stimulator

  Posted on: 25 October, 2017

  Rush University Medical Center’s Dr. Asokumar Buvanendran is among the first interventional pain medicine specialists in the country to implant a newly approved spinal cord stimulation device that automatically adjusts the amount of pain-blocking electrical impulses according to shifts in body position, providing another non-opioid option for chronic pain sufferers.

  Buvanendran surgically implanted the Intellis Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulator device Sept. 21 under the skin of the lower back of a 72-year-old, retired New York City Police officer who has suffered debilitating chronic pain for several years.

  Read More

• 

  U.S. Opioid Painkiller Abuse May Be Leveling Off

  Posted in: UPC News | Posted on: 23 October, 2017

  Rate plateaus as doctors are urged to recommend nondrug pain treatments

  The number of Americans abusing prescription painkillers has leveled off in recent years, but there is no apparent decline yet.

  That's the finding of a new study tracking the U.S. opioid abuse problem. Researchers found that after a large spike in the early 2000s, Americans' misuse of prescription opioid painkillers has plateaued in recent years.

  Read More

• Opioid Epidemic Initiatives

  Posted in: UPC News | Posted on: 21 October, 2017

  Physician anesthesiologists are uniquely qualified to understand the opioid epidemic. Hear from Asokumar Buvanendran, M.D., Chair of the ASA Committee on Pain Medicine and learn about upcoming ASA initiatives.

  
  

  Read More

• New Knee Procedure Eases Arthritis Pain Without Surgery; Getting a Second Opinion; Video Throwing Analysis

  Posted in: UPC News | Posted on: 19 August, 2017

  Dr. Sandeep D. Amin discusses a new, non-invasive knee procedure called “cooled radio frequency ablation” (Coolief), that could bring some relief for patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain, for whom surgery is not an option.

  Read More

• Alternative Pain Therapies

  Posted on: 14 June, 2017

  
  

  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - More than 100 million Americans live with chronic pain every day. 

  
  

  Many of these people take narcotic medications that, while providing relief for some patients, are not always safe and effective and can pose a potential risk for addiction. 

  
  

  A significant group of patients experience something called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS, often the result of an injury or trauma.

  Read More