1. What is pain management?
Pain management is the process of providing medical care that minimizes or diminishes pain. Methods of diminishing pain include injection therapy or medications. Dr Haroutunian is responsible for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of pain.
2. Do you have specialty training in pain management?
Dr Haroutunian is double board certified in anesthesiology and pain management. He has completed specialty training in pain management at UCLA.
3. How do I schedule an appointment?
Call 818-901-6600 Extension 6442
4. What are some facts about pain?
- About 116 million Americans suffer from chronic or recurring pain
- Pain is the number one complaint of Americans ages
- One in six Americans suffer from arthritis-related chronic pain
- Low back pain is the fifth most common reason for all physician visits in the U.S.
- Back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old
5. What is the most common type of injection you perform?
Epidural injections. These include a mixture of lidocaine and steroids.
6. Can you tell us more about epidural injections? What are they for? How long do they last? What is it comprised of? Can they help avoid surgery?
- These are injections used to help manage disc bulges, herniations, small tears in the disc, and nerve compression in the back.
- They can last between months and years. Everyone responds differently.
- They are made of a combination of lidocaine and steroid. Steroids help reduce inflammation
- Epidural injections can certainly help avoid surgery. In one study, epidural injections were effective in avoiding surgery in 40% of cases
1. What is regenerative medicine, PRP, and stem cell therapy?
Regenerative medicine is focused on applying new treatments to heal tissues and organs and restore function. In pain managements, this is typically achieved by the injection of platelet rich plasma (PRP) or stem cells in the area of concern. PRP is taken from the blood after the patient’s own extracted blood is placed in a centrifuge which allows for extraction of the growth factors. The growth factors are then injected in the damaged tissue which allows for tissue repair and regeneration through a complex biological cascade.
2. When does PRP therapy work?
It takes 30-60 days for the effects of PRP to take effect
3. Does insurance cover PRP therapy?
As of now, almost no insurance carriers cover PRP injection therapy. This is a cash pay service.