slideshow

Interventional pain physician Dr. Kailash Chandwani recently joined the medical staff of Southeastern Health. Below are some questions and answers which explain the types of conditions he treats.

Q. What is your philosophy about pain?

A. Pain is an unpleasant sense of discomfort affecting millions of people every year. According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, more Americans are affected by pain than the total affected by diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Unrelenting chronic pain may significantly compromise every aspect of individual’s life, such as physical activity, level of functioning, emotional stability, interpersonal relationships, mood, and sleep. Because of the complex nature of chronic pain, treating it with just one treatment, such as pain medication only, is often not as effective as multimodal treatments.

Q. What areas within pain management do you most enjoy treating?

A. I have a special interest in the multimodal treatment of complex regional pain syndrome — previously known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy — and in the utilization of ultrasound for interventional pain medicine procedures.

Q. How do you work in concert with other specialties, such as rehab, to address different types of conditions?

A. We incorporate a multidisciplinary treatment approach, combining knowledge and skills of several health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, to reach the desired treatment goal of meaningful pain reduction and improved functioning. We work in collaboration with our patient, primary care physician and other specialty physicians (e.g. orthopedic physician, spine surgeon, neurologist) to focus on our patients’ specific needs and to develop a treatment plan.

Q. What types of treatments do you use to help patients overcome their pain or discomfort?

In addition to treatment options already mentioned, I have been trained in advanced pain treatment modalities such as spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal drug delivery system for select patient population with specific pain conditions such as post-laminectomy pain syndrome (persistent pain after back surgery), complex regional pain syndrome and cancer pain that have not responded favorably to more conservative measures.

Q. What types of conditions do you treat?

A. Spine pain (neck, middle and lower back); Herniated discs (disc bulge); spinal stenosis; post-laminectomy pain syndrome (persistent pain after back surgery); persistent pain after inguinal hernia repair; head, neck and whiplash pain; trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain; postherpetic neuralgia (shingles pain); persistent pain after surgery; myofascial pain; complex regional pain syndrome (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy; RSD); muscle and joint pain (e.g., hip & knee); chest wall pain; shoulder and arm pain; phantom limb pain (pain after an amputated limb); arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis); peripheral nerve pain; nerve root damage pain and arachnoiditis; multiple sclerosis pain; work-related injuries; central post-stroke pain (pain after a stroke); cancer pain; spasticity; and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Chandwani at Southeastern Pain Management Clinic, which is located at 4308 Ludgate St., in Lumberton, call 910-671-9298.

Amanda Crabtree is the public relations coordinator for Southeastern Health. She can be reached at crabtr01@southeasternhealth.org.