It is my distinct pleasure to launch the first issue of our quarterly newsletter dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain. As part of Pain and Wellness Center's commitment to our professional community, we recognize the need to better educate our primary care providers and specialists, since pain management has continued to evolve over the past 20 years as a new and distinct specialty in medicine.

We are also acknowledging that you are ultimately the very first to evaluate these complex patients. Therefore, you become responsible for their well being. By sharing with you the basic principles, theories and newest trends in the field of pain management, I believe that it is the patient who will actually benefit from better care.

Issue #12, Fall, 2007	Issue #11, Summer, 2007
Issue #10, Spring, 2007	Issue #8, Winter, 2007
Issue #7, Fall, 2006	Issue #6, Spring, 2006
Issue #5, Winter, 2006	Issue #4, Fall, 2005
Issue #3, Summer 2005	Issue #2, Spring 2005
Issue #1, Fall 2004

It is my hope that this publication will dissipate the commonly held perception that every pain clinic is a "block and needle shop" and rather grasp the multidisciplinary flavor of our specialty including alternative therapies. It is our intention to bring up various topics of interest and to discuss some case reports that will illustrate the clinical thought process behind each intervention. Our current location, including the ambulatory surgical center, is at 10 Centennial Drive in Peabody. If you have comments or any topics of interest, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your ongoing support and trust.

-- Julien Vaisman MD

News - Posted on 09.11.07:
Pain and Wellness Center is having an Open House for the Holistic Center. The date is October 4, 2007 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Physicians and healthcare professionals are invited to attend.

News - Posted on 09.11.07:
Julien Vaisman, MD, Karen Little, NP and Matthew Marino, MSPT have summited Mount Washington via Huntington Ravine.

News - Posted on 09.11.07:
Recently FDA has approved Lyrica (pregabalin) as the first medication to actually treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The original studies for lyrica reveal that this medication can actually improve the pain by 50% in about 30% of the fibromyalgia sufferers.

It is believed that fibromyalgia affects at least 4 to 5 millions of patients in the US.

Although the drug is well tolerated side effects can include dizziness, dry mouth, swelling of the legs and sedation.

Pregabalin is also approved for the treatment of certain seizures, shingle pain and nerve pain cause by diabetes.

News - Posted on 03.05.07:
Dr. Ordia wrote an article that was published in "Clinical Nuclear Medicine" Volume 31, Number 1, January, 2006 titled Scintigraphic Evaluation of Intrathecal Infusion Systems: Selection of Patients for Surgical or Medical Management.

News - Posted on 05.09.06:
Doctor Vaisman is co investigator in a new study which compares the efficacy of inter laminar versus transforaminal epidural steroid injections in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who have predominantly lower extremity pain. The study received approval by the Spaulding Hospital IRB. We are presently enrolling patients in this very exciting and important study.

News - Posted on 12.25.06:
Misuse of Pain Killers:
A recent report released by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that the misuse of popular painkillers oxycodone (percocet) and hydrocodone (vicodin) went up significantly. For people age 12 and older, the incidence of misuse of these drugs at least once during a person’s lifetime went from 5.9% in 2002 to 7.4 % in 2004 for hydrocodone. The non medical use of prescription drugs is the second most prevalent category of drug abuse after marijuana. The most commonly abused drugs include: percocet, oxycontin, vicodin, dilaudid , methadone, morphine,codeine, xanax, valium ritalin and soma.

After initial optimism following original studies published in 1986 showing improved function and low addiction rates in patients placed on a chronic opioid regimen, subsequent studies were more cautions regarding the efficacy. A slew of potential side effects of chronic opioid intake showed decreased immune system and hormonal changes with long term consumption of these medications.

Prescribing guidelines are utilized in the management of chronic non-cancer pain for those patients who derive benefit and show improved functionality after being placed on a long term opioid regimen.