Finding Relief: Advancements in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Are you or a loved one suffering from chronic pain? Are you interested in exploring new options for potential pain relief? On Wednesday, December 11th, Dr. Steven Falowski of Lancaster’s Argires Marotti Neurosurgical Associates will be presenting “Finding Relief: Advancements in the Treatment of Chronic Pain” at Clipper Magazine Stadium in the Lexus LC & RX meeting room. Doors open at 3 p.m. for greetings and light refreshments, and the main program will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by a question and answer session. 

The topic of the program will be neurostimulation, which involves an implanting of a small device designed to provide relief from chronic pain by disrupting the pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain. This innovative technology has proven advantageous for many who suffer from chronic pain by targeting precise areas of pain and adjusting signals for continuous relief, even during movement. 

Argires Marotti is proud to offer this first-time community educational seminar by Dr. Falowski, a well-known and respected researcher and thought leader in the area of neurostimulation and chronic pain treatments. 

“We have these amazing therapies that range from being very well established to also still being on the cutting edge and being innovative,” said Dr. Falowski. “Patients automatically have a fear of ‘brain’ or ‘spine’ surgery. However, the majority of the procedures I perform are minimally invasive procedures where patients go home the same day and have a much lower adverse profile than medications. The benefits from these procedures are enormous. My goal has always been to take these procedures out of large academic centers and bring them into the community for all to have.”

Having joined Argires Marotti this year, Dr. Falowski was formerly the director of Functional Neurosurgery at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, PA, with a practice specializing in neuromodulation, which was nationally recognized as a top practice. He remains active in researching new clinical trials in order to deliver the best possible practices to his patients. 

“A large portion of my own research revolves around making the procedures as comfortable as possible and minimally invasive,” Dr. Falowski commented.  “I helped to pioneer a method, now used internationally, of placing spinal cord stimulators for pain patients as an asleep method. It led to better outcomes, a more comfortable, faster procedure, and it was safer.”

Dr. Falowski also emphasizes a patient-centered approach to medicine, and is looking forward to educating the Lancaster community on new possibilities for chronic pain relief.

“The patient is the center of everything I do. I formulate my mindset, my practice, and my actions around being patient-focused and patient-centered. I want to be able to have several options in my toolbox so that I can be able to offer the best therapy to the patient. It’s the idea of the right therapy for the right patient,” he explained.

The “Finding Relief: Advancements in the Treatment of Chronic Pain” program is free, and RSVP is requested by December 4th, as seating is limited.

Please contact Sara Grosh at

717-892-8623 to RSVP

5 Things You Should Know About Chronic Pain

If you suffer from chronic pain, it's important that your friends and family know what you're going through. With this in mind, here are 5 things to know about chronic pain that you can share with your loved ones:

Your chronic pain may not be directly tied to an injury or underlying condition.
Read: Modern Theories of Chronic Pain

1. Chronic pain is real

People with chronic pain are often treated as if they are making up (or at least exaggerating) their pain. But the truth is that all pain is real, even if there is no known cause. Additionally, almost all people with chronic pain want nothing more than to be pain-free.

So what your friend or family member needs from you is your support and kindness, not condemnation. Statements like "Get over it" or "It can't be that bad" don't accomplish anything other than to discourage those with chronic pain.

Thankfully, there is an increasing consensus in the medical community that all chronic pain is real, and that it needs to be treated even if there is no known cause.

2. Chronic pain commonly leads to disuse syndrome

Chronic pain often leads to long-term lack of physical activity and a condition recognized as disuse syndrome. This syndrome can negatively impact your musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, psychological, and emotional processes. At its worst, disuse syndrome leads to a pervasive lack of wellness that in and of itself can be debilitating.

Of note, disuse syndrome can both perpetuate and increase the likelihood of chronic pain worsening over time.

3. Chronic pain commonly leads to sleep-related problems

Chronic pain can create a troubling cycle when it comes to sleep. That is, chronic pain can make it harder to sleep, and in turn a lack of sleep can make chronic pain worse.

Common sleep-related problems caused by chronic pain include an inability to fall asleep, constantly waking up at night, and not feeling refreshed upon waking up in the morning. Because of the close connection between sleep problems and chronic pain, the two need to be treated together.

4. Pain is deeply personal

Everyone persons experience of pain is different. For example, two people may have the same condition, and one may display no ill-effects, while the other may be incapacitated. When it comes to back pain, this is especially true. Two people can have the same type of herniated disc, but one feels only slight discomfort and the other feels burning, debilitating sciatic pain.

There are a number of possible reasons for this, including individual physiology, a person's upbringing, etc.

5. Happiness does not equal health

Often times, when a person with chronic pain is smiling or having a "good day," people assume that the person is not experiencing pain. However, this is not necessarily the case.

It is important to recognize that a person can be happy and at the same time be experiencing pain. So be careful to not assume that a friend or loved one is "healed" simply because they seem to be enjoying themselves.

The bottom line

There are so many secondary and related issues that accompany chronic pain that it would be a real challenge to address them all. This list is intended to at least get the conversation started—and for anyone living with any type of chronic pain, please pass this along to your loved ones to help them better understand and support you.

If you have chronic pain, your may also find it does you a world of good to have increased emotional support, more effective and sustainable pain management, and even possibly harnessing the power of your mind to assist in coping with the pain.

Don't Stop Talking About Chronic Pain

Pain Awareness Month events in September and other events throughout the year help get the word out about the toll of chronic pain.

Helping friends and family understand the effects of chronic pain is something that can take place all year round. Read: Understanding Chronic Pain

But whether there is an event in your area or not, it's always a good time to help others understand what life is like when you have chronic pain.

Promoting pain awareness all year long

Here are some ways to help increase understanding about the challenges of chronic pain throughout the year:

1. Have your elevator speech ready. People who are looking for a job or pitching a business proposition are often advised to have a brief synopsis ready to describe themselves or their idea. Called an elevator speech or an elevator pitch, this conversation is usually about 30 seconds. Try adapting this idea to your chronic pain experience as you meet new friends or see opportunities to increase others' understanding. It's a quick way to boost awareness without getting too bogged down in the details.

2. Help others with chronic pain. Do you have a friend who has chronic pain as well and could benefit from a support group, but is reluctant to give it a try? Invite him or her to join you. Going with a friend to a support group meeting may make your friend more comfortable about attending.

3. Join or follow an advocacy group. Advocacy organizations for a number of chronic pain conditions hold fundraisers and other events throughout the year. Checking these organizations' websites and Facebook pages can help you stay up-to-date on events.

4. Look for events that could benefit from a chronic pain advocate. You could ask to set up a table and distribute brochures at a pain management open house, book-signing, or demonstrations of yoga or acupuncture.

5. Get ready for next year. It's never too soon to start planning for Pain Awareness Month 2018. If you don't have an advocacy organization where you live, consider starting one and brainstorming ideas for next year.

As you reach out to tell others about chronic pain, stay in touch with others in pain through the forums on Spine-health, where users gather to support each other and share feedback throughout the year.

When There's No Cure for Your Aching Back

You've seen all the doctors and specialists, and you've had all the tests—then, at the end of it all, you’ve discovered that your back pain is "chronic."

For many, this is an unfortunate reality thanks to conditions that are not easily treated and rarely cured such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. Chronic pain from these conditions often follows a pattern of low-level discomfort with intermittent flare-ups of more intense pain.

Living with chronic pain day-in and day-out can be exhausting and frustrating. But you can limit the severity of your pain—and the effect it has on you—with the following 3 strategies:

1. Become an expert at pain management

No one pain management technique works for everyone. With this in mind, you need to be open to trying all sorts of methods and techniques to diminish and manage your pain.

Keeping your pain at the lowest level possible will help keep you active, which in turn will minimize your chronic pain further and help prevent it from getting worse. It will also help decrease the stress that is often associated with chronic pain. Common pain management techniques include:

• Cold therapy

• Heat therapy

• Over-the-counter or prescription pain medications

• A healthy exercise regimen—possibly in a pool

Aside from those above, which can be done on your own, pain management procedures such as epidural steroid injections can also help. Also, some people find alternative treatments quite helpful, such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy.

To find what works best for you, try various combinations of pain management techniques. But be patient, as it may take quite some time before you find the right combination of treatments.

2. Find a support network

Chronic back pain can be an isolating experience. You may not be able to be as active as you once were resulting in saying "No" to social gatherings. You may have also stopped participating in some of your favorite activities (like running, playing soccer, etc.)

As you become more isolated, your experience of the chronic pain may increase because you have less stimuli to distract you from your back pain. Additionally, you increase the risk for developing mental health issues like depression.

I encourage those that are experiencing chronic back pain to try and find a network of social support to limit the isolation effects that chronic back pain can have on an individual. The key to a support network is not only finding people who are empathetic and supportive, but also finding a health distraction from the pain. This does not necessarily meaning always being around only other people with chronic pain (such as a pain support group, although these can be helpful). Rather, this can be a set of friends and family who regularly visit you, and have various interests that can be pursued even with your chronic pain.

3. Practice imagery control techniques

When treating your chronic back pain, it is important to remember the powerful role your mind can play in reducing your perception of chronic pain.

In particular, with regular practice, imagery control techniques can bring you meaningful relief in a matter of minutes. Interested? You can start by trying "the altered focus technique." Here is how to do it:

• Begin by focusing your attention on a part of your body other than your lower back.

• Next, alter the sensation in that part of your body. For example, you can imagine your hands becoming cold or warm (whichever feels better).

• Hold this sensation in your hands for several minutes, and your experience of chronic lower back pain will likely diminish.

A great benefit of imagery control techniques is that you can practice them wherever, and however, often you want. This grants you a level of control that isn't available from many other kinds of chronic back pain treatments.

If the above three strategies don't help reduce your chronic pain, don't despair. Instead, ask your doctor for a referral to a pain specialist to discuss other possible options for chronic back pain relief. There are a great many approaches to pain management.