Chronic pain may only exist at one spot in a person’s body, such as their back or neck, but it can negatively affect every aspect of his or her life. That’s why the Pain Treatment Clinic at UAB Highlands delivers solutions that address the complete needs of each patient.
Created by UAB’s Department of Anesthesiology, the Pain Clinic provides comprehensive services for pain management. The clinic, which treats a wide range of conditions with an emphasis on interventional injection procedures, is staffed by physicians who are board-certified in pain medicine.
More Space, More Staff, More Services
With more space than the previous location at The Kirklin Clinic® in the UAB Medical Center District, the new clinic allows for a larger staff that can perform twice as many procedures per day. Even more important, the new location provides better access to related services such as physical therapy and psychological support, if they are needed.
“Chronic pain treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach,” says Aimee H. Walsh, M.D., a UAB anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist who serves as the clinic’s medical director. “Our new clinic puts us closer to referring surgeons, physicians and ancillary services, which improves our ability to treat the whole patient.”
UAB’s Pain Treatment Clinic specializes in chronic neck and back pain, disc problems, spinal stenosis, degenerative joint disease, pancreatitis and myofascial disorders. The clinic also treats pain related to cancer or surgery, as well as chronic regional pain syndrome, atypical pain syndrome and head pain.
Individualized Treatment
Many patients are treated with injections that relieve pain right at the source, such as muscular trigger-point injections and epidural steroid injections. Spinal cord stimulation and radio-frequency ablation are among the other treatment options at the clinic, all of which are performed on an outpatient basis and are less invasive than surgery.
Before deciding on a treatment option, the clinic’s physicians thoroughly evaluate the patient. “Not everyone needs surgery or an injection,” Dr. Walsh says. “We treat each patient as a whole person and develop a plan that best meets his or her needs.”
Creating the ideal plan—which could include medication or lifestyle improvements such as weight loss—involves both the patient and the referring physician.
“We want to determine the best approach for overall lifestyle improvement,” Dr. Walsh explains, “so we can help people with chronic pain function more comfortably and lead more productive lives.”
To contact the Pain Treatment Clinic, which is easily accessible and offers free, convenient parking, call (205) 930-8966. For more information, visit our website at uabhighlands.org.