GIVING
(718) 960-9000
Dr. Ajay Suman, Director, Pain Medicine
The latest advances in treating back pain will be the subject of the next “Dinner with A Doctor” at SBH Health System (St. Barnabas Hospital).
The free public seminar will be held on Tuesday, February 10th and, in Spanish, on Thursday, February 12th. Both presentations begin at 6 p.m. in the Braker Building boardroom on the St. Barnabas Hospital campus (Third Avenue and 182nd Street). There is no cost to attend these events, which include the serving of a delicious and healthful meal.
Back Pain Treatment
Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in America, and the leading cause for people missing work and visiting a doctor. Eight out of 10 Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life.
Chronic back pain is defined as pain that persists for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic pain with persistent symptoms. In 2010, lower back pain was considered the third of most burdensome conditions in the U.S. in terms of mortality or poor health, with only ischemic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ranking higher.
In many cases, the pain from chronic back pain is resolved through non-surgical or minimally invasive intervention.
Presenting at “Oh, My Aching Back! Our Pain Specialist Talks about Back Pain” will be Dr. Ajay Suman, Medical Director of the Pain Clinic at St. Barnabas Hospital. Dr. Suman received his fellowship training in pain management at Texas Tech University. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and completed a residency in anesthesiology at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City. He previously worked in the Interdisciplinary Pain Medicine Department at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, where he treated soldiers returning from active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as veterans from past wars.
Dr. Guido Macchiavello will present in Spanish. Dr. Macchiavello, board certified in internal medicine, is the Internal Medicine Site Clinic Director in the St. Barnabas Hospital Ambulatory Care Clinic. He did his residency at St. Barnabas Hospital and is actively involved in hospital initiatives reaching out the Spanish speaking community.
Discussed at the upcoming presentation will be the use of minimally or non-invasive treatments like radiofrequency ablations, nerve blocks, infusions and facet joint and epidural injections, as well as spinal cord stimulators. This treatment for chronic back pain, as well as for such disorders as trigeminal neuralgia, complex regional pain syndrome, peripheral vascular disease and abdominal pain, is offered after more conservative measures have been exhausted.
Dinner with a Doctor
St. Barnabas Hospital holds Dinner with a Doctor on a regular basis, with members of the hospital’s medical staff discussing various health issues while attendees enjoy a light meal. Past events have included presentations on such topics as aging joints, attention deficit disorder, breast cancer treatment, dental health, diabetes, medications, heart care, men’s health, pain management, vascular disease, wound healing, and women’s health. To meet the diverse needs of the people served by the hospital, presentations are offered in English, Spanish and other languages.
“We encourage members of those communities we serve to take advantage of our Dinner with a Doctor series,” said Len Walsh, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at SBH Health System. “It gives them a chance to meet some of the area’s best doctors and clinicians, and get answers to questions they may have on various health and medical topics. This upcoming presentation on the latest non-surgical and minimally invasive treatment options for chronic back pain should be of great interest to those who live and work in the community.”
Dinner with a Doctor is free and is limited to 60 people. You must be 16 years of age or older to attend and reservations are required to assure that space will be available. To RSVP contact Diana Loubriel at 718-960-9295. Parking is available by entering the hospital campus at Third Avenue and 183rd Street.