Injury Specialists is a progressive practice, integrating structural and functional analysis of the patient's body as part of the treatment plan. Most of the time, the patient has a history of previous trauma which has gone unnoticed, thus the name "Injury Specialists". We feel it is important to pay attention to every detail, including psychological and social factors. As medicine has become technologically complex, with sophisticated diagnostic testing (e.g. the MRI scanner), less emphasis has been placed on patient history and physical examination. If a diagnostic test reveals no abnormality, the physician often can find no cause nor offer any solution for a patient's pain. Our approach (integrates patient assessment, diagnosis, injection therapy and medical management with manual physical therapy, rehabilitation and surgery) integrates injury anatomy, injury physiology, and injury structural and functional changes, and their effects on pain. In our practice, physicians and physical therapists work side by side. Injection therapy, such as epidural steroid injections or trigger point injections, for example, are integrated with specific manual (hands on) physical therapy techniques such as: myofascial release, mobilization of the spine, muscle energy, neurotension techniques.
When treatment begins, patients may be video-taped on a posture grid to visualize the underlying structural lesion which causes their pain. This helps the patient understand the alignment changes necessary to alleviate his or her pain. This patient education is essential to encourage the patient to comply with their home program. In addition, the physical therapy is all manual or literally "hands-on" as opposed to modalities such as ultrasound. Patient education is essential as he/she must understand and participate in their care.
Injury Specialists accepts Medicare, and participates in most insurance including HMO's and PPO's. We accept liability, workers compensation, and personal injury patients.
It is our belief that physicians should be responsible for improving the quality of care and educating the community. Unfortunately, we don't know everything about the human body or the nervous system; but progressive, innovative therapies are now helping people previously thought to be untreatable.
Conditions Treated
- Conditions treated but not limited to:
- Carpal Tunnel syndrome
- Complicated pain patterns
- Facial pain
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches - all types
- Joint pain - knee, shoulder, etc.
- Low back pain
- Myofascial pain/soft tissue injury
- Neuralgias/Neuropathies (Nerve Pain)
- Pelvic pain
- Post car accident/"whiplash" pain
- Post-mastectomy pain
- Repetitive strain
- Spinal pain/back/neck
- Sports injuries
- Sympathetic pain syndromes
- TMJ
- Work related injuries
Injections
- Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar epidural steroid injection
- Facet Joint to mobilize the spine
- Iliopsoas Compartment Block to stabilize biomechanics and mobilize the spine
- Paravertebral Dorsal Median Nerve Block to modulate the pain signal and facilitate mobilization of the spine
- Peripheral Nerve Root Blocks
- Radio-frequency abation for chronic neck and back pain thathas failed with other treatment
- Spinal Cord Stimulator for failed back- nerve root pain
- Stellate Ganglion Block
- Trigger Point Injections to increase range of motion of the joint
Education
The company philosophy of Injury Specialists focuses on education. The physicians frequently lecture to professional as well as lay groups. Their target audiences include peer physician groups, insurance case managers and adjustors, risk managers, physical therapists, corporate management personnel, attorneys, judges, etc. They have lectured to professional organizations on national, state and local levels, such as the St. Louis Dental Society, Missouri Safety /Health, Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Conference Annual Meeting in Lake of the Ozarks, the National Workmen's Compensation Annual Meeting in Chicago, and Missouri Association of Massage Therapists. Members of the rehabilitation staff have travelled to job sites to assess working conditions and teach preventive exercises.
