Chronic pain, or pain that lingers for at least three months after an injury or illness has healed, is a major public health problem. In 2019, 50.2 million Americans suffered from some form of chronic pain, or about 20% of the population. What’s more, about 25% of those with chronic...
Bone marrow aspirate (BMA) is a component of your bone marrow that contains mesenchymal stem cells and can help promote healing in both bones and soft tissues. At Pinnacle Pain and Spine, interventional pain specialists Dr. Matthew Crooks and Dr. Stuart Rammell provide regenerative medicine technologies, including bone marrow aspirate,...
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an umbrella term that describes damage to or malfunction of the central and peripheral nervous systems, one that generates prolonged pain and inflammation of a limb (hands, arms, legs or feet), usually after an injury. People with CRPS may experience spontaneous pain or pain...
Spinal fractures can occur anywhere in the chain of vertebrae that compose the spine, and they can vary widely in severity. Those fractures that result from high-energy trauma can be severe, requiring emergency treatment. Others that come from a low-impact fall may require less-intense intervention. Compression fractures that spontaneously develop...
As you probably know, headaches are extremely common. In developed countries, tension-type headaches (the most common kind) affect more than a third of men and half of women. And of those people, up to 1 adult in 20 has a headache every day. Migraine, a neurological headache disorder, affects at...
Whiplash is a neck injury caused by the abrupt backward-and-forward jerking motion of your head. This often happens as the result of a car accident or in the case of babies, shaken baby syndrome. At Pinnacle Pain and Spine, interventional pain medicine physician Dr. Matthew Crooks and our team of...
Fibromyalgia is a common, chronic pain syndrome that affects about 10 million Americans and 3-6% of people worldwide. Women are more predisposed toward it — 75-90% of cases are women — but men and children also suffer from it, and all ethnic groups are affected. At Pinnacle Pain and Spine,...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
A herniated disc, sometimes referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc, occurs when the jellied center of a spinal disc pushes out through a tear in the tough, rubbery exterior. This can press on nerves and cause pain. You may also experience numbness, tingling, and weakness in the muscles...
The elbow absorbs an incredible amount of stress and movement each day of your life. In addition to common repeated-use injuries from golf, tennis, or baseball, your elbow joint can be injured in an accident. After a painful elbow joint fracture and repair surgery, your body needs time to heal. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. Though we learn more and more about the disease on a regular basis, we still have many questions that may take years to answer. For many of us, COVID-19 has changed how we work and socialize, not to mention how we exercise....
If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic pain, you may think that pain medications are your only option for managing your condition. However, prolonged use of pain medication can lead to side effects such as digestive problems, confusion, and even cause addiction in up to one in four people. Here at...
“ACCORDING TO A STUDY published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of U.S. adults live with chronic pain. Chronic pain is generally thought of as pain that lasts longer than three months. Chronic pain is different from the acute pain you might have immediately after an accident or...
In order for our bodies to function properly, without issues or without pain, we need to ensure we are exercising consistently and properly. For our backs in particular, exercise that strengthens the muscles in the surrounding areas will go a long way in preventing or reducing back pain. Keeping the muscles...
Back pain is one of the more common physical ailments that doctors and specialists treat, and it can show itself in several forms with different causes for each. Many times, back pain is caused by mechanical issues, involving disruptions with the physical components of your back and how they fit...
If you’re experiencing back pain, you may find that it can begin to take a huge toll on your quality of life and generally can be a burden on your day to day routine. While most back pain issues can be treated with less invasive solutions, back surgery is sometimes the...
Within our backs, we have discs that are placed in between the bones of our spinal column that essentially serve as shock absorbents. Each disc is made up of a firm outer layer and a soft jelly-like core, and they help hold the spine together while allowing us to bend...
Stiffness and lack of stabilization are two common reasons that a person may experience back pain. Taking the time to make sure you are incorporating stretching exercises into your day will help to prevent this rigidity. Stretching is something that you can conveniently do throughout your day and is an...
Back pain can be a significant hindrance to daily life and is often frustrating to deal with. It can be even more frustrating when the cause is unknown. Pain could stem from something simple like posture, improper exercise, or even sleeping funny. However, pain can also be a sign of...
Back pain can seem unbearable and inescapable. The discomfort can be severe enough to hinder healing and rehabilitation. With epidural steroid injection, this pain can be soothed right at the source to give the surrounding tissues time to heal properly or to allow a patient to continue recovering with physical...
Back pain is consistently one of the top reasons why a person may need to visit their doctor. Because there are so many different causes for back pain, there are a number of different methods for treating it. One method in particular that has shown to be beneficial is increasing blood...
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Typically prescribed to treat acute pain from an injury or surgery, opioids trigger the release of endorphins—the same feel-good neurotransmitters that are released after exercise, a great date or taking a bite of chocolate. They dampen the perception of pain and boost feelings of happiness and well-being. But the relief...
Executive Posture Is your desk job a literal pain in the neck? Dr. Matthew Crooks of Pinnacle Pain and Spine feels you. “It’s the devices and the texting and computers – it’s sort of been good business for me, but it’s not good for everyone else,” he says with a...
Bone and soft tissue injuries heal in many stages. One of the most exciting areas of research in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine involves making the most of the initial healing stages: inflammation and an increase in cells, or cell proliferation. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment is becoming a more...
Millions of people who suffer from chronic pain take opioid drugs that carry significant risks of addiction and can often do more harm than good. But scientists are developing a new generation of solutions to deal with the problem in ways that safer and more effective than medication, a top...
← Dr. Matthew Crooks on Good Morning Arizona talking about pain management without using opioids These 7 New Techniques Offer Drug-Free Pain Relief →
Dr. Matthew Crooks on Good Morning Arizona talking to Lina de Florias about pain management without using opioids. Click the image link to watch the video or call us to learn more about our approach to treating chronic and acute pain. ← Why Did Kobe Go to Germany Pinnacle Pain...
An aging star and the new procedure that could revolutionize sports medicine By nearly every metric, Kobe Bryant is having his best season in years. Not only is he leading the league in scoring, but he’s also performing above his career average in points per game and rebounds. (As always,...
In an attempt to speed up his return to the Golden State Warriors’ lineup, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment on the right knee he sprained during the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group:...
ATHLETES SUCH AS TIGER WOODS AND THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS’S HINES WARD HAVE UNDERGONE PLATELET-RICH PLASMA THERAPY, BUT IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT THE TREATMENT REALLY SPEEDS THE HEALING OF INJURIES? Torn tendons, muscles and ligaments plague athletes in many types of sports. In attempts to help heal the wounded tissue, some...
Obtained from: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/orthopaedic_disorders/ice_packs_vs_warm_compresses_for_pain_85,p00918/ It can sometimes be confusing whether to use heat or cold when treating sore muscles or an injury, but keep these facts in mind. Heat Brings more blood to the area where it is applied. Reduces joint stiffness and muscle spasm, which makes it useful when muscles are...