I read the last entry on 12-5-10 and could not disagree more!. I have worked in the health care field as a nurse assistant and have worked with many pain patients. There is a terrible problem with narcotic drug abuse in east Tennessee and the problem is getting progressively worse.
I have been a patient of Dr. Chavin's for over three years and have had excellent care by Dr. Chavin and his staff. Dr. Chavin has had done injections on my several times. I undergo a series of Cervical and Lumbar injections about once per year.
At first I was hesitant, but I am now a firm believer in them. When I get a series of three of them over about six weeks, I get about 8 or 9 months of excellent relief . And by a year, I am requesting them again because of how much they help.
I have talked with Dr. Chavin about this and he explained to me that if the first series provided good pain relief than he and the patient can discuss this again in 6 to 8 months. If they don't provide adequate relief than they never need to be done again and the patient can still remain in the clinic.
Dr. Chavin explained that because of the very severe problem with drug abuse including diversion (selling the drugs) and addiction, that if a new patient has pathology that could benefit from an injection then Dr. Chavin expects the patient to be willing to undergo these injections with goal of reducing or eliminating the need for narcotic medications, increasing range of motion, increasing activity of daily living and decreasing pain levels.
In other words, many doctors can prescribe pain medications but few have the expertise that Dr. Chavin has in doing injections. Dr. Chavin does injections under live x-ray for accuracy and told me he has done them since 1987 as a doctor. I have spoken with patients in the waiting room who have had procedures done by Dr. Chavin including implantable pain pumps, spinal cord simulators and those who have used the accuspinal spinal decompression table (like a Vax-D) and have had great results. Certainly not all patients respond to injections or any other procedures from Dr. Chavin or any Doctor for that matter.
Dr. Chavin and his staff offer multiple approaches to pain management. If like the lady of 12-5-10 you have ""mild pain on low dose pain meds"" you should not go to Morristown Pain Consultants. Morristown Pain Consultants and Dr. Chavin have the expertise, experience, and ability to handle and treat severe pain problems. Mild pain should be treated by a family doctor or a ""pill mill"" that only offers narcotics.
Dr. Chavin explained that if a patient has significant pain and only wants pain medications, then given the amount of diversion and drug addiction he is not able to treat them. Dr. Chavin believes that patient's with real and significant pain are open and anxious to try different therapies for relief of their pain. Dr. Chavin told me that long narcotics usage in patients can very negative effects and that he only wants to work with patients that are motivated to get better and hopefully get on lower doses of narcotic and prescription drugs.
I admire Dr. Chavin for his passion to provide excellent and innovative care to his patients.
If you have severe pain and need help and have been to other Doctors that have not provided you with the relief that you need and deserve than I could not recommend Dr. Chavin and Morristown Pain Consultants more. From personal experience I can guarantee that Dr. Chavin and his staff will spend a lot of time working you up, ordering appropriate labs, scans, MRI's and whatever else you need to accurately diagnose and treat your unique pain problem.
Kudos to Morristown Pain Consultants and Dr. Chavin!
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