Pain specialist doctor in Delhi

  Cervical radiculopathy or pinched nerve in the neck is a common problem. Irritation or compression of the nerves coming out of the spine can cause severe pain travelling (radiating) to the shoulders and arms. The arm pain is often more severe although the root of the problem lies in the neck. This pain can be associated with tingling, numbness, weakness in the arm and hand. To understand a bit more about these pains it is essential to have an understanding of the anatomy of the neck. The neck or the cervical region consists of seven bones (vertebrae) stacked one above the other. There are labelled as C1-C7, where C stands for cervical and 1-7 are the numbers to identify the level being referring to. These vertebrae are separated from one another by discs which are like cushions allowing the spine to move freely. Each vertebra encloses a hollow space which lines up with the space of the vertebrae above and below, running along the entire length of the spine. This hollow space is c...

  July 7, 2021 The word cryoablation is formed of two words – “cryo “meaning cold and “ablation” meaning removal or destruction. In simple words cryoablation in pain management is freezing of the nerves to reduce pain. This technology has undergone significant advancement over the years and can be used for relief in a magnitude of pain conditions including Arthritis of the large joints such as the knee, hip and shoulder . This procedure is especially helpful in young patients with arthritis pain who want to avoid or postpone joint replacement surgery Arthritis of joints in the spine, sacroiliac joints Cancer pain Nerve pains  such as postherpetic neuralgia, phantom limb pain, neuroma, thigh pain due to lateral femoral cutaneous nerves (meralgia paresthetica), pain after nerve injuries Post surgery pain  such as Post hernia repair and Post thoracotomy (open chest surgery) pain Pain after rib fractures The primary aim in cryoablation treatment is deactivation of the nerves ...

  What is trigger finger/thumb? If your finger gets stuck in a bent position or snaps when bent and straightened, then  trigger finger  can be the likely cause. The name trigger finger comes from the similarity with a gun trigger being pulled or released. This is a common cause of hand pain and is seen in roughly 2- 3 percent of general population. Thumb or ring finger of women in the fifth or sixth decade of life is most commonly affected. The condition can however involve multiple fingers and both hands. What are the causes of trigger finger/thumb? Tendons are rope like structures which attach the muscles to the bones. These are surrounded by a covering (sheath) and are held attached firmly to the bones by anchors called pulleys. A disparity in the size of the tendons and the sheath or the anchors results in the disruption of the smooth gliding mechanism and the resulting snapping or locking sensation is addressed as trigger finger. The exact cause of this condition is ...

  What is the relation between pain and sleep? Does, not being able to sleep make the pain feel worse or is severe pain responsible for inability to sleep? The answer is both are true. Sleep is a natural analgesic (pain reliever) and a good night’s sleep can improve one’s ability to tolerate pain.For some chronic pain patients, the only respite is when they are sleeping, and loosing this luxury can have adverse consequences. Amount of sleep required by an individual varies depending upon many factors including age, but most adults require between 7 to9 hours a night, although it can range from 5 to 10 hours.Healthy sleep comes in waves during the night and every night we cycle 4-6 times, through different stages of sleep- light sleep, deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Usually we wake up after the REM stage. If pain disturbs the sleep, we end up spending too much time in light sleep reducing the REM sleep and this may result in increased pain sensitivity. Inadequate sle...

  Learn more about Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) What is peripheral neuropathy? Peripheral nerves  carry sensations from the different parts of your body to the brain and control the movement of our arms and legs. The set of symptoms resulting from damage to these nerves is addressed as Peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms are usually symmetrical starting from toes and fingers, and progress towards the body. Common symptoms include Tingling or pins and needles sensation in hands of feet Numbness and reduced ability to feel hot and cold Sharp, electric, burning pain Sensitivity to touch, pressure or temperature  Balance issues and difficulty walking Leg cramps  Weakness Difficulty with fine activities such as writing, buttoning and unbuttoning  What is Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)? Some of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer can cause peripheral nerve damage. This is addressed as  chemotherapy-induced peripheral ne...

  Sources of pain in cancer may not be easy to identify and often require detailed assessment with attention to detail. Identification of the source often holds the key to correct treatment and ability to provide relief. Pain in cancer may originate from Cancer itself  – When cancer grows it damages the tissues. It causes inflammation, unusual stretching, irritation and all this can lead to pain. Like if we talk about a pancreatic cancer, when it grows or stretches it can irritate the diaphragm (main breathing muscle) and that cause shoulder pain Cancer spread  – when cancer grows uncontrollably then it can spread to the nearby or distant body parts like the bone, liver, kidney, lymph nodes etc. Associated problems  like bloating, constipation, blockage of ducts, clotting problems, distention of liver or abdomen etc. Cancer treatments  like radiotherapy or chemotherapy are known to cause nerve pain (peripheral neuropathy. Surgery may also be associated with chro...

  Everyone knows about the relationship between cigarettes and heart disease or lung cancer, but are you aware that  Smoking Can Increase the Chances of Your Having Disc Problems By 4 Times.  When I inform my patients about this they are very surprised. Cigarettes contain more than 7000 toxic chemicals and we know at least more than 250 of them are harmful to our body. Numerous studies have reported that smoking is associated with chronic pain, especially back and joint pains. Increased chronic pain is due to the ability of nicotine and other chemicals to: Narrows blood vessels, reducing the blood flow to the muscles, bones and other body parts Impact on brain circuitry Impact on immunity and slow healing Increased fatigue Increase blood pressure The incidence of  chronic low back pain  among smokers compared to non-smokers is higher, and smokers experience more severe pain. This is true irrespective of the sex and nature of work (manual laborers Vs white-collar...

  Breast cancer is a common cancer among women worldwide. A variety of problems can occur during treatment, and persisting pain after surgery is one such issue. It can affect 20% to 50% of women after mastectomy (operation involving removal of breast) and is defined as pain in the chest, armpit, upper arm, and shoulder persisting for more than 3 months post-surgery. Treating this pain is important as persisting pain besides causing suffering, can negatively impact on mood, sleep, activities of daily living, social interactions, and overall quality of life. Reduced working ability and financial implications are obvious consequences as shown in one study where 54% of individuals reported reducing their workload to part-time as a direct result of pain. As the survivorship is increasing, enabled by the technological advancements in medicine, the focus needs to be equally on quality of life and reducing suffering. Phantom breast sensation (where one feels that the re...