DeKalb Times

When suffering back, neck, or limb pain, people often are not sure where to turn. Should they see a doctor, a physical therapist, a chiropractor or someone else? Northwestern Medicine is opening a new comprehensive spine and pain center in Bloomingdale that brings many aspects of spine and pain management under one roof to help guide patients, in the least invasive manner possible, to identify, manage, and alleviate pain.

Opening on February 20, 2023, the new Northwestern Medicine Center for Pain and Spine Health Bloomingdale houses pain medicine specialists, neurosurgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, and advanced practice nurses in a collaborative space. The 12,000-square-foot clinic is located near the Stratford Square Mall at 245 Gary Avenue, Suite 100 in Bloomingdale.

“The majority of chronic pain can be attributed to the spine or nerve etiology. Using leading-edge tools and techniques, our highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team can identify the generator of that pain and then manage or potentially stop it,” said Mehul P. Sekhadia, DO, a pain medicine specialist and medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Pain and Spine Health Bloomingdale. “Our goal is to limit the impact of chronic pain, including decreasing disability and drug dependence.  We also want to educate the community on all the tools available in this regard to better function in daily life while preserving mental health.”

Patients undergo a multidisciplinary evaluation for diagnosis and a team of specialists will meet on a regular basis to discuss complex cases. Services include physical therapy, chiropractic care, imaging, point of care testing, in-clinic procedures, pain management consultations, surgical consultations and holistic care.

With two procedure rooms, including one equipped with a C-arm for intraoperative imaging, several procedures that were previously done in a hospital operating room, can now be performed safely in the clinic. In-clinic procedures and surgeries include epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, joint injections, radiofrequency ablations, regenerative medicine, spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulator trials, and kyphoplasty for osteoporotic fractures. 

Specialists offer management of a full range of back, neck and pain conditions, including degenerative disk disease, injuries, spinal fractures, spinal deformity, peripheral nerve compression syndromes and peripheral nerve injuries.

“With the increased collaboration among specialists offered by our new clinic, a patient can be diagnosed sooner and more accurately. We want patients with pain and spine disorders to be able to see the right person at the right time, eliminating unnecessary testing and delayed treatment,” said Babak S. Jahromi, MD, PhD, vice chair of neurosurgery, Northwestern Medicine.

Northwestern Medicine is anchored by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, ranked the No. 1 hospital in Illinois and No. 10 in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report, 2022 – 2023, in the annual “America’s Best Hospitals” ranking.

To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org

Original source can be found here.