A pain on the side of Matthew’s head and neck caused him problems with everyday life.
“The pain (was) behind my right ear, the base of my skull, going down into my right shoulder,” he said. “Then it was shooting pains almost like electricity. “The daily activities of sitting at a computer, to pick up a telephone or a cellphone and try to type — I kept having discomfort going down into my shoulder.”
The burden of the pain even caused him psychological issues, like minor depression, as he came to be unable to do many basic activities. That’s when he turned to Northside Hospital Interventional Pain & Spine Care and Dr. Patris Almasi after a referral from a neurosurgeon.
“Coming to Northside and dealing with Dr. Almasi and the rest of the team, I felt like they cared,” Matthew said. “I felt like they gave me the attention that I needed. They listened to me, and then with the treatment plan that Dr. Almasi set forth, I was able to essentially alleviate the pain and discomfort.”
Dr. Almasi suggested radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment, in which Matthew would receive two test injections. Should they be successful, RFA would be administered to burn the outside of the problematic nerve, taking care of the pain sensation.
Matthew wanted to pursue an RFA treatment because it is minimally invasive.
“Coming here and talking with Dr. Almasi and having the options to do this, it kind of relieved me that I didn’t have to go straight to a surgical procedure,” Matthew said.
“Dr. Almasi was pretty sure after the two test injections that the RFA would give me relief. I was concerned at first because it took a good two weeks before I actually started feeling all the relief and then once it was totally on and I was able to do things, I felt great relief from the pain and I felt much better from an emotional standpoint.”
Now, Matthew has advice for anyone facing similar struggles.
“The care that the Northside Pain Clinic provided for myself and what I believe they will provide for you is an understanding of what is happening with your body and understanding of what your treatment aspects could be and then a plan set forth to go ahead and go through with those and accomplish what you want,” he said.
“I am totally pain-free today from the result of the RFA.”
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*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
