Every day, at least two people die from opioid overdoses in Arizona, and the state currently has the 12th highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country.

While pharmaceuticals and opioids play an important role in health care and pain management, Valleywise Health has announce a new program that provides access to nonpharmacologic interventional pain management treatments that are effective, safe, minimally invasive and evidence-based.

The science of treating pain has evolved beyond an over reliance on medication and surgery, and at Valleywise Comprehensive Health Center – Peoria, patients who are experiencing pain can get the right treatment for them.

“Our goal is to offer evidence-based, innovative treatments that provide relief for our patients without putting them at risk,” said Sarang S. Koushik, MD pain management specialist at Valleywise Health and a District Medical Group physician. “We are proud to be at the forefront of the pain management movement, offering treatments that are proven to be successful and safe.”

Given all pain is highly dependent on the individual and therefore difficult to diagnose, treatment plans vary widely. Pain can be a result of injury, illness, aging, stress, grief or depression, and there are often multiple factors working together to create the pain patients experience.

With this new service, Valleywise Health pain management specialists are able to work with the patient and their primary care physician to determine the best course of action to manage pain and ultimately heal the core issue.

There is a variety of pain management treatments now available through specialists at Valleywise Comprehensive Health Center – Peoria including but not limited to:
• Vertebroplasty
• Radiofrequency lesioning

“It was important to us to open up these services to our patient population to allow them the opportunity to manage pain in a minimally invasive way to bring them back to optimal health," said Michelle Barker, CEO of FQHC Clinics at Valleywise Health.

For information, visit: www.valleywisehealth.org/services/pain-management.