Chronic, Debilitating Pain...SOCH Pain Management Program

For almost a year, Rana Zitler experienced a strange, debilitating phenomenon.  During the day, the 39-year old, mother of two lived life to the fullest, with no hint of pain.  However, the evening hours told a very different story.

“Between the hours of 8 to 10pm when I sat down to relax, I would feel my knee tighten and squeeze and throb, like a leg cramp but much more extreme,” said Rana, who also woke up several times at night screaming and crying from the pain.

Anti-inflammatory and pain medications provided temporary relief, but the pain usually returned within several weeks time.  What’s more, the drugs caused unpleasant side effects.  That’s when Rana turned to Dr. Michael Yu, an anesthesiologist specializing in pain management at SOCH, who offered her another choice.

“Rana had a condition called nerve entrapment.  She had tissue pressing on the nerve in her knee, and this would cause the nerve to contract when she relaxed, resulting in extreme pain,” explained Dr. Yu, who performed a revolutionary new procedure called a common peroneal nerve block with nerve stimulation and ultrasound guidance.

During this technique, Dr. Yu inserts a needle through the skin.  The needle will generate electrical impulses, which cause the nerve to contract, allowing him to identify the nerve that is inflamed.  Using ultrasound imaging to see inside the body, ensuring precision accuracy, Dr. Yu will inject a steroid medicine around the nerve, which is designed to reduce the nerve inflamation.  He will not inject the medication directly into the nerve, as this can cause nerve damage.

The procedure, which only takes about 15 minutes, is performed on an outpatient basis, and the patient can return home immediately.

Dr. Yu has used these types of procedures to treat a wide-range of conditions that result in chronic and debilitating pain.  Needle injections called nerve blocks, as well as epidural administration to administer pain medicine has provided relief for people suffering from migraines, cervical neck pain, arm, shoulder and upper back pain, lower back pain, and the excruciating pain that can be caused by shingles.

He also performs, along with an interventional radiologist, a procedure called Kyphoplasty to repair compression fractures in the spine.  Using computerized imaging equipment called fluoroscopy to see inside the body, he inserts a needle directly into the body of the vertebrae and injects a form of cement, which forces the compressed spine to open, and relieves the pain.

Dr. Yu also provides medication management for patients who are not appropriate candidates for some of the minimally invasive procedures used to treat chronic pain.

“I can help to provide pain relief for patients with end stage cancer,” Dr. Yu explained.  “For example, a procedure known as intrathecal therapy can deposit medication directly into the spinal cord, allowing the patient to receive much greater pain relief, with a smaller dosage of medication.”

Whether the goal is to improve the quality of life for patients who are terminal, or to provide relief
from chronic pain for people suffering with a wide-range of conditions, Dr. Yu works in tandem with each patient’s primary care physician and physician specialists to develop an individualized plan of care.

As for Rana Zitler, she has finally found relief from the agony that plagued her evening hours for so long.  Now, she spends time enjoying her days and nights with her husband, Bob and her children, Kaitlyn, 2 and Kyle, 10.  

“I am so grateful for Dr. Yu, she said.  “The pain is gone.”

For more information about pain management at SOCH, call SOCHConnect at 609-978-3400.

Date posted: 09/25/07 @ 4:48 pm

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