Everyone suffers from pain at some points of life, including physical, psychological and existential. Fatigue is experienced as the lack of energy or endurance, again which can be physical, mental, or spiritual.

Chronic pain, defined as pain lasting more than six months, can become an entity unto itself.  It is often accompanied by fatigue, either from the accompanying sleep deprivation, medications taken and/or the mental exhaustion caused by the pain.

Inflammation is the fire of defense and repair. It can spread or burn too intensely if not properly modulated by the immune and other systems. It is possible to have inflammation without pain, and pain without inflammation (for more, click here).

While Dr. Cheikin is Board-Certified in the elite sub-specialties of Pain Medicine, Spinal Cord Medicine and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, he rarely uses pharmaceuticals or procedures (other than acupuncture or yoga). He prefers to help his patients find the root cause(s) of pain and fatigue. In over 90% of cases, root causes are identified and there are improvements. The goal is to reduce or eliminate pharmaceuticals which in the long-term can contribute to or exacerbate ongoing undiscovered problems.

The speed in which we proceed is determined by several factors, such as whether the patient is working (including motherhood), how much time and energy is available, and whether there is family support. Trust, focus and persistence have shown to be the best predictors of outcome. 

To see Dr. Cheikin’s article on Chronic Pain, click here.