Category: Dr Jenny Andrus MD

Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®) for Pain Relief – Part I

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD In this three-part-article series, I’ll discuss a pain-relieving workhorse, ibuprofen, which is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID.  It works by reducing the amount of pain and inflammation-causing hormones circulating in the bloodstream, commonly known as a COX inhibitor.  It appropriate for mild to moderate levels of pain… Read more »

Acetaminophen (Tylenol® or Panadol®) for Pain Relief

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD As an Interventional Pain Management Specialist, I have a license to prescribe and an electronic prescription pad giving me access to pharmacies full of the most potent and chemically complex drugs that exist for the treatment of pain.  However, in this series of articles, I’d like to focus on non-prescription… Read more »

Why Does the Cold Weather Make my Chronic Pain Worse?

Jenny L.F. Andrus, MD If old wives could tell tales, they might let you know that your joints could predict the weather and let you know when rain is coming, or a cold spell was getting ready to move into the area.  As physicians, we typically would say that it was coincidental that our patients… Read more »

What is Serotonin? Part I

Dr. Jenny Andrus

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD You may have heard or read about serotonin and its role in the regulation of depression and mood in the human brain. However, this miracle neurotransmitter and hormone plays an important role in quite a few brain functions and bodily functions.  When it is well balanced, we typically feel good. … Read more »

What are Neurotransmitters?

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD There are certain chemical compounds in our body that allow us to live, breathe, walk, talk, think, and enjoy life as we know it – without them we would not be able to function.  These wonder substances are called neurotransmitters (NTs) and they really are the juice that runs the… Read more »

What is a “Pain Pathway”? An Introduction

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD As an Interventional Pain Management Physician, I see patients who suffer from chronic pain as a part of life.  In understanding pain, it important to know that pain not only has many emotional, psychological, and sensory components, but that it also is a physiological activity as well.  There is a… Read more »

What Factors Impact the Success of a Spinal Cord Stimulator Implantation? 

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD  A Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) or Neuromodulator is an effective device used by Interventional Pain Management Physicians for treating intractable chronic pain that has not responded to other conventional treatments, including surgery. In my practice, I have witnessed first-hand just how miraculous the results can be for some chronic pain… Read more »

Five Prescription Drugs That May Cause Musculoskeletal Pain

Jenny L.F. Andrus, MD Most physicians weigh the risks and benefits of prescribing medications for their patients before doing so, planning that the overall benefit of the drug will far outweigh any possible side effects.  Of course, the patient has a responsibility to report any adverse effects that the drug may have to the physician… Read more »

Having Chronic Pain in the Rear is No Joke – Causes & Symptoms

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD As an Interventional Pain Management Specialist, I see patients who have every type of pain imaginable and do my best to diagnose and treat the root cause of their pain.  Some patients have issues with chronic pain in their pelvis, tailbones, rectums, or reproductive systems due to illness, trauma, cancer… Read more »

Treatments for Polyneuropathy

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD In the past few articles, I have addressed that polyneuropathy can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions or for idiopathic (unknown) reasons.  For that reason, I typically will work in concert with the patient, other physicians, including the Primary Care physician, and perhaps other specialists, depending on the… Read more »