Joining the Pain Care Team at Center for Diagnostic Imaging

June 9, 2014June 23, 2014 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Now that it’s official, I wanted to make an announcement that I have accepted a position with the Pain Care team at the Center for Diagnostic Imaging in St. Cloud. I am very excited about my new opportunity at CDI.

I decided to join CDI to take on a new challenge as part of their expanding CDI Pain Care program. Some of the services the program will be offering include:

Diagnostic and therapeutic injections

Medication management

Physical therapy

Behavioral health or surgical consults

Advanced imaging diagnostics

I am very grateful to have this wonderful opportunity at CDI, and I also want to say thanks to all my friends, colleagues, coworkers, and patients at MAPS Medical Pain Clinic. I learned a lot during my time at MAPS and met a bunch of wonderful people. I am blessed to have met all of you, and I wish you all the best going forward.

CDI has three offices in the greater St. Cloud area. I will be working out of the Sartell office. You can reach the office by calling 320-251-0609 or by visiting our website. We are open Mon-Fri 6:30am-10pm, and on Saturdays from 7am-3pm. Please call the office if you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment.

Hands and Head Most Sensitive to Pain

June 6, 2014June 23, 2014 / Thomas Cohn, MD

A recent study by researchers in the United Kingdom found that a person’s forehead and fingertips were the parts of the body most sensitive to pain.

Researchers believe their findings could help better understand the progression or regression of chronic pain or other pain related conditions. They said their findings have the potential to help millions.

“This measure tells us how precisely people can locate the source of pain on different parts of their body,” said senior author Dr. Giandomenico Iannetti of the UCL department of neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology. “Touch and pain are mediated by different sensory systems.

Laser Study

To better understand how individuals sense pain, researchers blindfolded 26 individuals and used a pair of lasers to simulate a pinprick sensation on various parts of their bodies. Researchers would either use one or both lasers, and they asked participants whether they felt one or two pinpricks. By blindfolding the participants and causing the pain without touch, researchers were better able to track what they call “spatial acuity.”

“This method offers an exciting, non-invasive way to test the state of pain networks across the body,” said Dr. Roman Cregg, clinical expert on chronic pain.

After analyzing the data, researchers found that touch acuity is best at a person’s extremities and forehead. Cregg concluded that the study offers a deeper understanding of the nerves and sensory systems in our bodies.

“Chronic pain is often caused by damaged nerves, but this is incredibly difficult to monitor and treat. The laser method may enable us to monitor nerve damage across the body, offering a quantitative way to see if a condition is getting better or worse”.

Related source: The Guardian

Back Pain Could Force Jeff Gordon Into Retirement

June 2, 2014June 23, 2014 / Thomas Cohn, MD

NASCAR champion and fan favorite Jeff Gordon said he may be forced to retire if he continues to experience back pain similar to the spasms he had prior to last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

Gordon was forced to cut his practice runs short after back spasms jeopardized his safety on the track. He received treatment after qualifying and alternate Regan Smith was ready to race in his position if Gordon couldn’t go on Sunday, but the four-time Sprint Cup champion toughed it out, finishing seventh for his ninth top-10 finish this season. Despite the promising finish, Gordon said he may be forced into early retirement if the pain persists.

”I can tell you, if that happens many more times, I won’t have a choice,” Gordon said prior to Sunday’s race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Gordon said he felt sore following the Coca-Cola 600, but he added that it wasn’t much different than the soreness he feels after any long race. He also noted that his back wasn’t back to 100 percent heading into the race at Dover, and he doubted that it ever would be fully healthy while he’s behind the wheel.

Not The First Time

The last few weeks weren’t the first time Gordon has dealt with nagging back pain. In 2008 he needed regular treatment on his back, seeking out professional treatment, anti-inflammatory medication, and strengthening exercises with a trainer. He went winless in 2008 and contemplated retirement, but the pain eventually dulled. He dealt with on and off pain over the next six years, but he said he never felt a stabbing back pain like the pain he experienced last weekend.

“There was nothing that was going to fix it until I had those injections on Saturday,” Gordon said.

The injection clearly helped him finish seventh in the Coca-Cola 600, and he came in 15th at Dover this past weekend. Gordon noted that he’ll just have to push through the discomfort if he wants a chance to capture an elusive fifth Sprint Cup Championship.

”It’s just something I continue to learn and push through,” he said. ”It’s no big deal.”

Related Source: Yahoo