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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD Nerve pain is varied, and patients may describe it in the following terms: stinging, burning, stabbing, numb, heavy, tickling, sore, aching, throbbing, shocking, tingling, pressure, “pins and needles” or just plain weird. It can also make the affected area sensitive to touch or cold and make normal pleasurable stimuli feel… Read more »
Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD As an Interventional Pain Management Physician, I frequently treat patients for nerve-related pain from a variety of causes and conditions, and sometimes for undetermined reasons. Some patients are affected by pain which comes from multiple nerves that are damaged, impinged or which simply malfunction in different parts of the body,… Read more »
Jenny L.F. Andrus, MD Physicians order many diagnostic tests to help them pinpoint exactly what condition or illness a patient may have when the answer isn’t immediately clear. A Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) is basically that – a way of determining the speed and intensity of nerve signals being carried away from the brain, through… Read more »