Patient success story: Louise's journey with shoulder pain

At DFW Interventional Pain Institute, there's nothing like hearing directly from your patient that their quality of life has improved greatly since they've been working with you. Our latest patient success story we'd like to share is from Louise (name changed for privacy reasons), who had been dealing with shoulder pain and back pain that had been giving her trouble for years. This blog post is dedicated to her story and how Dr. Edrick Lopez and our staff were able to find a treatment plan that worked for her and got her back to living her best life.

Recurring shoulder pain and back pain led Louise to seek additional treatment

For nearly two years, Louise had been experiencing shoulder pain and lower back pain that was extremely noticeable when she was reaching up for things and also nearly every time she had a long day at work. After speaking with her primary care doctor about the issue, her doctor recommended DFW Interventional Pain Institute to do additional diagnosing since previous treatments had not been working.

Thanks to years of training and a passion for helping his patients, Dr. Lopez was able to diagnose bursitis of the right shoulder and sacroiliitis. Bursitis affects the small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion your bones, tendons and muscles, so when those locations become inflamed, the most common affect is a sensation like the burning pain in the shoulder Louise was feeling.

As we mentioned, Louise was also experiencing sacroiliitis, which is when the sacroiliac joints where your lower spine meets your pelvis become inflamed. Many times, sacroiliitis is mistakenly diagnosed, so it's often a good choice to see a pain management doctor who is familiar with this condition and can help a patient with treatment options.

Recommended treatment: Steroid injections and radiofrequency ablations

After determining the sources of the pain Louise was experiencing, Dr. Lopez recommended steroid injections every 3 months in the shoulder and radiofrequency ablations every 6 months for the lower back pain. Since receiving this treatment, Louise says she's experienced a life-changing amount of relief. Here's what she had to say about her treatment at DFW Interventional Pain Institute:

"Dr. Lopez, I will be eternally grateful after years of pain and having no idea what is happening in my body. In a second appointment I finally had a diagnosis and treatment that to this day allow me to have a better quality of life. Thank you for that human quality that makes any situation more bearable. Obviously the best doctor is accompanied by the best team; thanks to everyone!"

If you're suffering from chronic pain, we can help at DFW Interventional Pain Institute

As you can see from Louise's quote above, our treatment for our patients goes beyond just diagnosis and medicine. We're invested in building relationships with our patients that help make sure they're able to live their best lives. Louise's experience is typical of our patients, many of whom have left us 5-star reviews on Google Maps.

If you're suffering from shoulder pain, back pain or any other debilitating pain that interferes with your quality of life, it may be time to consider seeing a pain management specialist like Dr. Lopez. Our staff is passionate about helping patients live their best life, so contact us if you'd like to set up a consultation and see how we can help. We look forward to helping you like we helped Louise and our many other patients!