Blog Archive

When your leg hurts, it’s logical to assume that you’ve injured it or have some sort of problem with your leg muscles or joints. But often, leg pain has nothing to do with your leg at all — instead, it indicates a lower back problem. Renowned physician Jay M. Shah....

Your spine contains three main areas: cervical (neck), lumbar (low back), and thoracic (mid-back). The cervical and lumbar regions have a lot of movement and flexibility, so they experience the lion’s share of injuries. Your thoracic spine connects to your rib cage, so it’s less susceptible to injury. However, when...

Most spinal surgeries are successful, but once in a while, patients report ongoing or new symptoms after surgery. If you’re experiencing burning neck pain, headaches, numbness and tingling, hindered range of motion, and/or pain that radiates down your arm, you may have failed neck surgery syndrome. In this blog, Dr....

You expect surgery to solve your pain problems, but chronic pain after surgery is a serious problem that affects millions of Americans. In fact, recent studies showed that up to 85% of Americans experience chronic post-surgical pain extreme enough to interfere with their daily activities, meaning it reduces mobility, causes sleep loss, and contributes to...

The COVID-19 pandemic turned countless office workers into homebodies, and many of them made the transition permanent. After all, working remotely comes with plenty of perks, like ditching the morning commute, saving on gas and dry cleaning, and working in your sweats.  Sadly, your cushy home office may take a...

The United States Census Bureau estimates that, on average, American adults will live to age 85.6 by 2060 — a six-year jump from the average lifespan of 79.7 years in 2017. That’s great news if you’re in good health, but age has a way of wearing down your body parts,...

Spinal stenosis — narrowing of the spinal canal — is almost inevitable as you age. As all body parts do, your spine degenerates over time, its tissues thicken, and the bones compress. Not everyone experiences spinal stenosis to the same degree, though. Dr. Jay M. Shah, our double-board certified specialist...

Whether you stare at a computer all day or hang out on your couch, prolonged sitting is wrecking your health in many ways. Dr. Jay M. Shah, our double board-certified interventional pain specialist at SamWell Institute for Pain Management in Colonia and Livingston, New Jersey, sees the negative effects of...

You underwent back surgery to fix a problem, but you still have pain or have discovered new pain. Unfortunately, the problem is so common that it has an official medical name: failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) or post-laminectomy syndrome.  This is also referred to as persistent spinal pain syndrome.  Back...

Millions of people suffer from joint and back pain because they fear surgery. If that sounds familiar, we’ve got great news for you. Most spine and joint pain doesn’t call for open surgery and the long recovery time associated with it. In fact, At SamWell Institute for Pain Management in Colonia and...

Pain can be acute, intermittent, dull, sharp, excruciating, debilitating, and depressing. In all its forms, pain disrupts your life, but when it becomes chronic, as it does for some 60 million Americans, it can outright change your life and even shorten it. Dr. Jay M. Shah, our double-board certified and...

From strained muscles, tension, and stress to severe injury, degenerative diseases, and chronic conditions, your face, neck, and head are susceptible to several painful problems involving your bones, muscles, vertebrae, and tendons. However, the countless nerves that run through these complex areas are the most vulnerable and can trigger pain...

The doctor-patient relationship should be personal and based on trust. But all too often, the health care system distills this connection to a brief conversation, a rushed examination, and medication to address symptoms temporarily.  You deserve better than that. Treat yourself to world-class care right here in New Jersey. One...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 20% of American adults — some 50 million people — struggle with chronic pain that lasts for months or years, although some studies report the number may be as high as 40%. Chronic pain is a big problem because it’s associated...

Thanks to your spine, you can put some heat on a tennis serve, absorb the shock of mogul skiing, and squat twice your bodyweight — but you might experience some back pain along the way. Although athletes don’t typically suffer from injuries related to weak musculoskeletal structure, they do encounter...

Chronic migraine headaches are a complex neurological condition with varying causes, triggers, and symptoms. But when it comes right down to it, migraine attacks are a pain management problem, and that’s our specialty. Dr. Jay M. Shah at SamWell Institute for Pain Management is a leading pain expert who has studied and treated chronic...

Nerve pain is tricky. It can persist long after your illness or injury is resolved and fire off pain signals for no apparent reason.  Double-board certified pain expert Dr. Jay M. Shah at the SamWell Institute for Pain Management leads the field of pain management and helps our patients throughout Colonia and Livingston, New...

You know your nerves make it possible for you to feel textures and test surface temperatures, but it may surprise you to learn that nerves also control other bodily functions, such as digestion.  When something compresses or damages a nerve, you may experience a wide range of symptoms from tingling...

Undergoing surgery is a big decision, and one that should never be taken lightly. Although surgical intervention is often the best and necessary course of treatment for instability in the spine, it comes with certain risks and the potential for post-surgical nerve pain, so it’s always best to exhaust all...

Your spine is a complex system that relies on intricate anatomical parts working harmoniously within a very tight space. Countless nerves run in and out of your spinal column, sending messages to and from your brain so you can feel and function. Any abnormality, such as a misaligned vertebra, a...

Very few people get through life without ever feeling the sharp twinge or nagging dull ache of back pain. In fact, about 65 million Americans report they’ve had a recent bout with back pain, and they spend more than $12 billion every year desperately seeking relief.  One of the reasons...

Knee pain plagues millions of Americans and stems from several different causes. The most common culprit, arthritis, accounts for severe joint pain in 15 million people in the United States, and about 50% of them live with the pain day in and day out. But arthritis isn’t the only problem....

About one-third of all Americans get shingles — a viral infection that develops into painful stripes of a blistering rash that follows the path of a nerve. Anyone who’s ever had chickenpox in their life is susceptible to shingles, and up to 18% of people who get shingles end up...

There are many different types of headaches, and they respond to different treatments. Some subside after a dose of aspirin or ibuprofen. Others take stronger medication and intentional lifestyle adjustments. And some call for a more direct approach that silences the pain at the source — your occipital nerve. Dr....

A workplace accident, a car crash, a sports injury, or a flare up of degenerative joint or spine pain — these are just a few of the countless causes of pain. In most cases, the pain subsides when the injury heals. But in many instances, the pain continues long after...

Worldwide, about 577 million people suffer from low back pain. In the United States, upwards of 80% of all Americans will feel the stab of low back pain at some point during their lives. One of the common causes of this type of pain is a herniated disc, also known...

If you’ve been in an auto accident, you not only experienced the frightening event, you likely sustained injuries, and if you’re like many victims, you may have ongoing pain. Often, this pain lingers even after your obvious injuries heal, which can be frustrating at the least, and debilitating at the...

Chronic pain is more common than you may think — about 100 million Americans live with constant pain and spend more than half a trillion dollars every year desperately seeking relief. This widespread problem led many of these sufferers and their doctors to turn to opioids for a powerful solution...

Chronic pain changes your life. It doesn’t go away with over-the-counter pain relievers, simple home remedies, or even time. Chronic pain is your constant companion and the main reason you miss work, cancel social plans, and experience bouts of depression.  Board-certified Dr. Jay Shah at the SamWell Institute for Pain...

Everyone experiences mild headaches and neck pain now and then. Commonly caused by stress, tension, or poor posture, these occasional annoyances usually subside on their own with a little rest, ice, and maybe some OTC pain relievers.  Next-level pain caused by trauma, spinal joint arthritis, spinal stenosis, occipital neuralgia, or...

Maybe you sprained your ankle, broke your wrist, or had neck, back, or foot surgery. Maybe you had knee arthroplasty, a severe cut, or a heart attack. Any of these events have the potential to cause complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a debilitating condition characterized by unrelenting pain associated with...

General aches, soreness, and fatigue affect everyone now and then, but above all else, American adults’ number one physical complaint is knee pain. Whether it stems from an acute injury or a progressive degenerative disease, the knee tends to take the brunt of gradual wear-and-tear, as well as blunt force...

Bending, lifting, working out, gardening, and countless other activities we humans do can tax our muscles and cause temporary pain. You usually feel it in your back, legs, and arms. So when you suddenly get a twinge in your face, it’s unfamiliar and a little worrisome. Dr. Jay Shah at...

Vice-like pressure, unrelenting pounding, sharp stabs, pain associated with neck pain, or dull aches — however, you describe your head pain, you’ve likely tried everything you can think of to stop it. But if over-the-counter pain medications, at-home remedies, and lifestyle changes haven’t been able to quell your chronic headaches,...

Even though chronic pelvic pain is common, affecting one in seven women, it’s often hard to talk about. First, it involves private body parts that aren’t up for discussion in most social circles. Second, it’s usually difficult to describe even to your doctor, as it can come and go, feel...

Just like the outward signs of aging, the passing of time takes its toll on the inside of your body as well. One of the places at risk, when you get older, is your lower back, called your lumbar spinal region.  The reason this area is so susceptible to pain...

Unlike acute pain that goes away when you heal, chronic pain sticks around for months or years. It’s relentless and often debilitating. If that sounds like a depressing situation, you’re right — studies show that chronic pain causes depression and anxiety in up to 50% of sufferers. And that’s a...

Pain serves an important purpose: it tells you when the stove is too hot, when to stay off of a sprained ankle, and when you need medical attention. But pain should be temporary and should subside when the painful stimulus is removed or when healing is complete. Sometimes, though, your...

No matter where you work or what you do when you’re there, you’re never exempt from potential accidents. Even seemingly safe workplaces pose risks, from loose carpeting to slippery stairs. In fact, about 60% of job-related accidents happen because of normal, everyday activities, not violent events. Dr. Jay Shah is...

The majority of Americans  — to the tune of 80% — will suffer from low back pain during their lives. And as a result, they’ll spend a lot of time and money trying to stop the pain and regain their ability to get through the day without wincing, cringing, and...

Keeping your distance from others during this global COVID-19 outbreak is critical. Many doctors and patients are turning to new ways of connecting that will minimize the spread of the virus, and telemedicine seems to be a great option. This concept allows patients to stay home yet still engage in...

Think of all the things your shoulders help you do: lift a child, hug a friend, reach for your coat, even brush your teeth. When you have pain in your shoulder joint, your whole life changes. And if you think it’s just something you’re destined to live with, think again....

When pain racks your body, whether it’s localized in one area or widespread, it changes your life. You become unable to participate in the regular, everyday activities you once enjoyed. Simple tasks like tying your shoes, lifting a baby, or even walking across the room are excruciating. You may also...

Your neck is a complicated part of your anatomy. It’s the hub of several nerve roots that branch out from your spinal cord and allow your shoulders, arms, and hands to feel and move. If those nerves become damaged or inflamed, you have a condition called cervical radiculopathy — the...

You may think no one can relate to your lower back pain, but it’s actually one of the most common physical complaints in the world. Studies show that about 80% of the population experiences back pain at some point in their lives, and they miss more work days because of...

More than half of adults will end up with osteoarthritis at some point in their lives regardless of their age, though it generally sets in after age 50. While it may affect various joints, like your spine, hips, or hands, it most commonly shows up in your knees. What begins...

Your spine houses a bundle of nerves. It also houses essential muscles, bones — 26 to be exact — and fluids that make it possible for you to stand, sit, walk, and move. With all those moving parts, it’s easy to understand how even the slightest problem in your spine...

When you’re in pain, it may seem counterintuitive to flex and move the muscles and joints that hurt, but the right activities can do wonders for your arthritis. Keep in mind that it’s important to choose your exercises carefully. The right ones will improve your body’s functionality and reduce your...

If you have ever been involved in a car accident, you know those moments immediately following the wreck are some of the most difficult minutes of your life. You aren’t sure exactly how you got there, you’re waiting for help to arrive, and you don’t know what will happen next....

You may have had neck and back surgery in hopes of getting rid of your pain. After your recovery from the surgery, you probably expected to feel better. But sometimes, surgery yields unexpected results. Because back surgery involves such delicate nerves and small spaces, it is an inherently risky process....

Neck pain is one of the most common ailments. While prescription and over-the-counter medications, injections, and other pain treatments work well for some, these first-line remedies don’t work for all. Failure to find relief over time means your neck pain has achieved chronic status. When that happens, it’s time to...

With an estimated 50,000 spinal cord stimulators implanted every year, this safe treatment is rapidly becoming a preferred option for relieving pain. It’s also widely used to give patients the chance to reduce or stop medications. At SamWell Institute for Pain Management, we specialize in interventional therapies that effectively relieve...