Blog Archive

Drawing a line between acute and chronic seems easy at first. An acute injury is clearly diagnosed and treated over the short term, like a broken arm. When the injury resolves, the pain usually goes away. Chronic pain can be caused by degenerative diseases, such as arthritis due to old...

It’s not unusual for people to pop their jaws while chewing, especially if they slept hard on one side the night before. However, if this is a recurring problem (along with symptoms such as your jaw locking or becoming stiff), you could have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.  At CHOICE Pain...

Addiction recovery can be scary. While some might think those with addictions deserve to suffer, there’s no good reason for unnecessary pain and illness associated with withdrawal. Prescription suboxone can help relieve your symptoms, reducing the likelihood of relapse. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland,...

With most people, a headache is easily fixed with a hot meal, a nap, or a simple painkiller. However, if your headaches are a daily occurrence or don’t respond to over-the-counter medications, it may be time to consult a specialist and discuss long-term solutions.  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center,...

Treatment for arthritis varies depending on the affected joint, what’s causing the inflammation, and the severity. While it’s impossible to undo the damage that’s already been done, targeted treatment can reduce your symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. This is important in the long term, especially in cases...

Exercise is a key component of staying fit and healthy. However, many people don’t know that some types of exercise can lead to neck pain. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland, our board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists have helped many patients get relief from...

Are you loving everything about working from home except the sudden mid-back pain that has appeared since you left an office setup? Your new setup may not be supporting your spine health like it should. This doesn’t mean you have to go back to on-site work. You may just need...

Are you waking up every morning with knee pain? Joint pain that wakes you from your sleep in the wee hours or makes itself known as soon as you start moving can sour your outlook on the upcoming day. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland, our providers can...

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are relatively common, affecting over 11-12 million adults in the United States alone. There are 30 different conditions that can lead to TMJ problems. While some patients require medical or even surgical intervention, many cases are handled by managing the symptoms during flare-ups.  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center,...

Physical therapy (PT) can treat a wide range of conditions, from acute to chronic. After a broken bone, a sprain or strain, or any other type of personal injury or sports injury, PT can help you ease back into your normal life. In other cases, physical therapy can help build...

It takes a lot to hold up your head, especially for hours every day. Even without hair, the human head can weigh up to 11 pounds, and the strain of keeping it upright requires the strength and support of numerous bones, ligaments, and muscles. If you’re experiencing persistent neck pain,...

Despite dogs being one of man’s best and oldest friends, dog bites are more common than you might think. About 4.7 million Americans are bitten every year, with many of them being children, particularly boys ages 5-9. If you or your child gets bitten by a dog, quick intervention can help prevent...

One in four adults suffers from arthritis pain, and the prevalence of this condition only increases with age. You might experience arthritis due to a past injury, wear-and-tear, or an autoimmune disease. Every case is different, which is why it’s important to consult a specialist to form a treatment plan.   At CHOICE...

Workers’ compensation protects you in the event that you get injured on the job, providing you with monetary and medical support. If you’ve suffered an injury while working, filing the correct reports and consulting with a doctor are necessary for proper compensation.  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple...

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which nerves in the extremities are damaged. This can result in a host of symptoms, such as pain, tingling, and numbness in the affected areas. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland, our board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are...

Sports medicine aims to help athletes achieve or regain peak performance by helping their bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments work well together. It also focuses on injury prevention and whole body wellness. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland, our board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists...

Around 2 million Americans with suspected rotator cuff injuries visit the doctor every year. If confirmed, a rotator cuff tear may or may not require surgical intervention. While surgery is usually needed for complete healing, you may be able to use conservative treatments to increase functionality and decrease pain, depending on the...

Fibromyalgia can cause constant muscle pain and fatigue as well as spells when all symptoms become acutely worse. The good news is there are multiple treatments that can relieve pain in fibromyalgia sufferers, and many of them can be combined to create a customized plan. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center,...

Have you been in a car accident or experienced other trauma resulting in whiplash? It’s incredibly common. Approximately 1 million people suffer serious neck injuries from falls, sports injuries, and accidents. The pain caused by whiplash can last for months or years beyond the initial injury, but you can heal...

Shingles is the bane of many people over age 60. A viral condition that causes a painful rash, most often appearing around the ribcage, shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you had chickenpox as a child, you’re at a much higher risk of having shingles as...

Has a hard lump appeared on your wrist? Even if it doesn’t hurt, you may need to have it checked by a doctor, as it could be a ganglion cyst. These fluid-filled sacs account for 60-70% of soft tissue masses found in the wrist.  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations...

Headaches can be influenced by your hormones, lifestyle, environment, and even your go-to hairstyle. If you’ve noticed that your headaches are becoming frequent, you need to get help from a pain specialist. A specialist can help you determine what kind of headaches you’re experiencing and what factors are contributing to them. ...

Do you have joint pain? If you’re like everyone else, you want relief. The first step in getting relief is finding the source of your joint pain. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland, our team of board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists can identify the cause of your...

Fibromyalgia can put your entire body through the wringer for years before you get a diagnosis. No one is entirely sure what causes fibromyalgia, but there are enough links to specific things for doctors to be able to find common threads. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations...

Chronic shoulder pain is behind up to 50% of all musculoskeletal complaints. When your shoulder hurts or feels unstable all the time, it can decrease your mobility and make it hard to do things you’d normally have no problem with, such as reaching overhead to get something from a shelf...

Many people are afraid of rehabilitation because they don’t want to go through withdrawal symptoms, but there are prescription medications that can help you come off opioids as safely and painlessly as possible. No one deserves to suffer during their recovery, and suboxone can help relieve your symptoms, so you...

Chemotherapy is supposed to make cancer patients better, but before you get better, you may feel worse. That’s because chemotherapy can have a lot of side effects, including pain. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the discomfort caused by chemotherapy. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, our...

Fibromyalgia can cause more than just muscle fatigue and pain. It can seriously impact your mood and quality of life. If you’re struggling with insomnia, depression, or anxiety, then relaxation techniques may be able to help you find peace, alleviate pain, and get better sleep.  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation...

Knee pain can stem from many sources, and the treatments can be just as numerous. The good news is, if you have a knee injury, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, our team of board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists...

Narcotic pain killers, also called opioids, are extremely effective for severe and chronic pain. People who once faced debilitating pain have been able to re-engage in their lives thanks to the relief made possible by opioids — when taken as prescribed. That last phrase is critical, because most people who...

If you have diabetes but don’t have nerve damage yet, you’re among the fortunate ones. About half of diabetics develop neuropathy at some point, and depending on the type of nerves affected, it could mean pain, a loss of sensation, or problems with your digestive system and other organs. Our...

Coccydynia may sound like an exotic disease, but it’s simply the name for common tailbone pain. It’s usually only temporary, but while you have it, it can disrupt your life for weeks or even months. Fortunately, relief is not only possible, but it’s available and convenient for those who live...

Does your shoulder snap, crackle, and pop? Is it stiff and achy? Does it seem to slide out of its socket? These are signs that you have a shoulder injury or medical condition that needs professional care. Our team at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center specializes in diagnosing and treating...

Up to half of all people with cancer suffer with pain, and as their cancer advances, so can the pain. But, the pain may not always come from the disease itself. Sometimes the treatment can cause it, too. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are highly effective in treating cancer, but they...

Many people use the word “arthritis” to describe general joint pain, but this umbrella term belies the nuances that distinguish more than 100 versions of the disease. It’s important to know exactly which type of arthritis you have, because the treatments vary.  Our extensive team of experts at CHOICE Pain...

Pain anywhere in your body may slow you down, but if your head hurts, it may be hard to do even the simplest tasks. Almost everyone experiences a headache now and then, but according to the World Health Organization, only about 4% of people have headaches that recur so often...

Life is full of minor aches and pains, and knowing when to seek medical attention is one of the ongoing dilemmas we all face. Is this normal? Will it go away on its own? Could it indicate an underlying condition?  At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations throughout...

If you have osteoarthritis in your knees, you know how painful it can be. As the cartilage wears away and the protective fluid dissipates, you’re left with the painful rubbing of bone on bone.  Although osteoarthritis can’t be cured, there are several ways to relieve the painful symptoms, including: Weight...

Pain is an important part of life. It alerts us to danger, teaches us about our environment, and makes us instinctively protect ourselves. But, after serving its purpose, or when the stimulus goes away, the pain should subside. If it doesn’t, you may need to explore next-level pain relief. Back...

Most people take their knees for granted. As long as they work properly, there’s no reason to think much about them. But, if a knee gets injured, begins to degenerate, or causes excruciating pain, they usually become the center of attention. Whether you have an acute injury or a chronic...

Back pain can bring your whole life to a halt and hinder your ability to perform simple tasks, such as tying your shoes and getting in and out of your car. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. More than 31 million Americans struggle with pain and immobility issues related...

We all know what it’s like to feel the aches and pains of daily life. But sometimes pain can go much deeper and last much longer than the typical sore muscle or nagging headache.  Whether your pain stems from a chronic condition or is the result of ongoing treatment for...

Often described as living with severe flu symptoms every day, fibromyalgia can take a toll on your physical and mental health and do a number on your relationships and career as well. Adding insult to injury, fibromyalgia doesn’t have a specific diagnostic test, manifests differently from patient to patient, and...

Whether you’re holding a child’s hand, typing an email, gripping a burger, or clapping for your favorite team, your hands are essential for countless everyday tasks and expressing yourself. So when pain grips your hands, it can affect everything you do. If your hands are hurting, come see our team...

About a third of all Americans develop cancer at some point. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, our team of physical medicine and pain management specialists understand the aggressive nature of cancer, and we help patients throughout Maryland cope with the pain that often accompanies it. And while we know...

Anything that repeatedly stresses your knee joints is bound to be a potential source of pain, and running certainly fits the bill. In fact, knee pain is so common among those who pound the pavement that it has its own name — runner’s knee.  Rather than a specific condition, runner’s...

Like most athletes, you’re probably used to working through the pain of getting tackled, elbowed, or tripped up. However, if you have a serious injury that’s sidelined you, you need expert medical care. Our providers at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center have your back — and your knees, and your...

Usually, if you feel pain, you know exactly why. From a stubbed toe to a cut finger to a broken arm, the cause of pain is generally not a mystery. However, if you have complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), pain can appear for seemingly no reason. Furthermore, skin changes can...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the opioid epidemic started in the 1990s with excessive prescriptions for painkillers. The epidemic then progressed to heroin use in 2010, and then to fentanyl use in 2013 through today. Between 1999 and 2018, more than 450,000 Americans have lost their...

It can be easy to take your ability to move for granted. When we engage in everyday activities, such as bending, twisting, and reaching, we rarely stop to think about the countless synchronized functions required to make our spine work — until it doesn’t.   Back pain plagues up to...

If you have diabetes, and you also experience numbness, tingling, oversensitivity, weakness, or sharp pain, you may also have diabetic neuropathy. There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy, which are: Peripheral neuropathy Autonomic neuropathy Focal neuropathy Proximal neuropathy In this blog, the experts at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center...

When we walk, lift our hands, or smile, we’re in control of our movements, and are generally aware that we’re in control. But there are other bodily functions, like our heart rate, body temperature, and pain reaction, that we can’t control, or that we do involuntarily, without thinking about too...

Do you have joint pain that you think is caused by arthritis? There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and the kind you have can affect what type of pain you experience and how it manifests. Getting the right diagnosis is critical to obtaining the best treatment.  At CHOICE...

Few things are more uncomfortable and distracting than a headache. Millions of Americans deal with regular headaches, with many experiencing them on a daily basis. Headaches can really interfere with your quality of life. If you’re dealing with headaches, know that there are ways to manage the pain. But it...

So you’ve suffered a sprain, stretching or tearing the ligaments that hold your bones together. When the ligaments in your ankle and foot are healthy and strong, your foot, ankle, and leg are fluid and stable.  When you turn, twist, or roll over your ankle and sprain the ligaments, however,...

Few injuries are quite as sudden as whiplash. That’s probably because whiplash is a violent, unexpected motion. As your head jerks in the shape of a whip, your joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerves move with it. With so many different parts of your body under undue force, there’s a...

Technology has changed the way we live. We all walk around with a computer in our pocket and the world at our fingertips. We’ve become conditioned to rely on these devices to connect us to each other, to conduct daily business, and to entertain ourselves. You might even say we’ve...

If you’ve been chowing down on giant steaks every night, your jaw may be sore from all the chewing. The solution to this problem is pretty clear: Have a salad now and then! If, however, you aren’t eating that many steaks yet you are experiencing pain on either side of...

The cause for fibromyalgia remains somewhat of a mystery. This chronic condition is thought to be caused by an error in the way your brain processes pain. Lower levels of neurotransmitters  such as serotonin or norepinephrine can cause feelings of  fatigue or exaggerated pain. Women are reported to be twice...

Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints. Most people think arthritis is one disease. But there are actually over 100 different types of arthritis. The most common being, osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is when cartilage wears away and bones start to rub against each other. This causes chronic pain and...

Whether you’re an athlete who planted and pivoted, a multitasking parent who lifted and twisted, or just an unlucky soul who moved your knee the wrong way — you’ve torn your meniscus. Now what? First things first: Stop the pain. Your next step is critical. At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation...

Any part of your body is susceptible to pain. Though you may expect to experience pain after an injury, sometimes the discomfort develops from an unknown cause. Arm and hand pain, for example, can occur without an injury from many different causes. Because you rely on your arms and hands...