Pain management
Find the source, then treat it.
Board certified interventional pain management in Clifton, Jersey City and Edison, New Jersey. Diagnosis before treatment, and procedures rather than prescriptions.
In short
Pain management here means identifying the structure or the nerve causing the pain, treating that structure directly with an image guided procedure, and rebuilding function around it. Dr. Sheikh is board certified in anesthesiology and pain management and performs EMG and nerve conduction studies in house, so the diagnosis is made before anything is injected.
Most patients arrive after months of treatment aimed at the symptom. An anti-inflammatory, then a course of therapy, then an MRI that shows three findings and does not say which one is the problem. That is where an examination by a specialist and an electrodiagnostic study change the answer, because they test function rather than anatomy.
Once the source is known, treatment follows an order: conservative care first, then a targeted diagnostic or therapeutic injection, then a longer acting procedure such as radiofrequency ablation if the injection confirmed the target. Long term opioids are not the plan. Surgery is a last resort and most patients never need it.
Conditions
Start with what hurts.
Each condition page covers what it is, how it shows up, how the source is actually found, and which treatments address it.
Low Back PainLow back pain is pain in the area between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.→Neck PainNeck pain is pain in the cervical spine, the seven vertebrae between your skull and your shoulders.→SciaticaSciatica is pain that travels from the low back or buttock down the back of the leg, following the sciatic nerve.→Herniated DiscA herniated disc happens when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through a tear in its tough outer ring.→Spinal StenosisSpinal stenosis is narrowing of the space inside the spinal canal, which leaves less room for the spinal cord and the nerve roots.→Peripheral NeuropathyPeripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, most often the long nerves that reach the feet and hands.→Carpal Tunnel SyndromeCarpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve where it passes through a narrow tunnel at the wrist.→Arthritis & Joint PainArthritis is wear and inflammation of the cartilage that cushions a joint, most often the knees, hips, shoulders and the small joints of the spine.→Headaches & MigrainesMost recurring headaches fall into a few categories: migraine, tension type, cervicogenic headaches that originate in the neck, and occipital neuralg…→Sports InjuriesSports injuries are damage to muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage or nerve from either a single traumatic event or repeated overload.→Numbness, Tingling and Shooting PainNumbness, tingling and shooting pain are symptoms, not a diagnosis.→Nerve DamageNerve damage means the nerve fiber itself, or the insulating sheath around it, has been injured by trauma, surgery, sustained compression or disease.→Nerve InflammationNerve inflammation, also called neuritis, is irritation of a nerve by swelling and inflammatory chemicals rather than by being crushed or cut.→Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (CRPS)Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, now usually called complex regional pain syndrome, is severe burning pain in an arm or leg that is far out of proportio…→Thoracic Outlet SyndromeThoracic outlet syndrome is compression of the nerves or blood vessels in the narrow space between the collarbone and the first rib.→Double Crush SyndromeDouble crush syndrome is a single nerve compressed in two places along its length at the same time, classically at the neck and again at the wrist.→Multiple Sclerosis PainMultiple sclerosis is managed by a neurologist, and Dr.→Shingles and Postherpetic NeuralgiaShingles is the chickenpox virus reactivating inside a single nerve root, producing a painful, burning rash in a band on one side of the body.→BursitisA bursa is a thin fluid filled sac that lets a tendon glide over bone.→Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)Adhesive capsulitis, usually called frozen shoulder, is inflammation and then thickening of the capsule that wraps the shoulder joint.→TendonitisTendonitis is pain and irritation where a tendon attaches muscle to bone, most often at the elbow, shoulder, wrist, knee or heel.→FibromyalgiaFibromyalgia is a real condition in which the nervous system amplifies pain signals, so ordinary sensation is registered as pain and the pain spreads…→Osteoporosis and Compression FracturesOsteoporosis is loss of bone density that leaves the vertebrae weak enough to collapse, sometimes from nothing more than a cough, a sneeze or lifting…→Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)Tennis elbow is pain at the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, where the tendons that lift the wrist and fingers all anchor into bone.→Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)Golfer's elbow is pain at the bony bump on the inside of the elbow, where the tendons that flex the wrist and close the grip attach.→ACL and MCL TearsThe ACL sits inside the knee and stops the shin bone sliding forward and rotating, and the MCL runs along the inner side and resists the knee bucklin…→Rotator Cuff InjuriesThe rotator cuff is four muscles and their tendons that hold the head of the arm bone into the shoulder socket and rotate the arm.→Plantar FasciitisPlantar fasciitis is irritation and degeneration of the thick band of tissue running from the heel bone to the toes.→Shin SplintsShin splints, properly called medial tibial stress syndrome, is pain along the inner edge of the shin bone from repeated loading, usually running or…→Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain)Runner's knee, or patellofemoral pain, is pain around or behind the kneecap caused by how the kneecap tracks and how much load passes through the joi…→Hamstring StrainsA hamstring strain is a tear in one of the three muscles at the back of the thigh, graded one to three by how much of the muscle is involved.→Concussion and Post-Traumatic HeadacheA concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, and the acute phase belongs to an emergency department and a neurologist, not to a pain office.→Cancer PainCancer pain is pain caused by a tumor itself, by its spread into bone or nerve, or by the treatments used against it.→
Treatments
What we can do about it.
Image guided injections and implants done in the office, usually in under an hour, with the honest risks stated on every page.
Epidural Steroid InjectionAn epidural steroid injection puts anti-inflammatory medication into the epidural space, the area just outside the covering of the spinal cord where…The injection itself takes 15 to 30 minutes. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes in the office from check-in to discharge.Nerve BlockA nerve block is an injection of local anesthetic, often with a steroid, placed next to a specific nerve or cluster of nerves that is carrying your p…Most blocks take 15 to 45 minutes depending on the site. Expect to be in the office about an hour.Radiofrequency AblationRadiofrequency ablation uses heat from a radio wave to interrupt the small nerves that carry pain from an arthritic spinal joint.The ablation takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on how many levels are treated. Plan on two hours in the office.Spinal Cord StimulationSpinal cord stimulation uses mild electrical pulses delivered through thin wires placed near the spinal cord to interrupt pain signals before they re…Trial placement takes 30 to 45 minutes. The permanent implant takes one to two hours and is still same day surgery.PRP TherapyPRP therapy concentrates the platelets from a sample of your own blood and injects them into an injured tendon, ligament or joint.About 45 to 60 minutes door to door, most of which is the blood draw and the centrifuge cycle.Trigger Point InjectionA trigger point injection treats a knot in a muscle, a tight band that will not release and that often refers pain somewhere else, such as a knot in…Five to fifteen minutes for the injections. You are usually in and out within half an hour.Joint InjectionsA joint injection places medication directly into a painful joint, either a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation or hyaluronic acid to improve lubri…Fifteen to thirty minutes. Expect to be at the office about 45 minutes.Facet Joint InjectionA facet joint injection treats the small paired joints at the back of the spine that let you bend and twist.Fifteen to thirty minutes depending on how many levels are treated. Plan on an hour in the office.Percutaneous DiscectomyPercutaneous discectomy removes a small amount of material from a bulging or herniated disc through a needle, with no incision and no stitches.The procedure takes 30 to 60 minutes. With preparation and recovery, plan on three to four hours at the facility.Laser and Endoscopic DiscectomyEndoscopic discectomy removes herniated disc material through an incision smaller than a fingertip, using a camera passed down a narrow tube so the s…Surgery takes 45 to 90 minutes. Expect four to six hours at the facility, and same day discharge in most cases.Chemical NeurolysisChemical neurolysis uses a chemical agent, such as Botox, phenol or alcohol, to stop a nerve from transmitting pain or from driving a muscle into spa…Botox injections take 15 to 20 minutes. Deep neurolytic blocks under CT or fluoroscopy take 30 to 60 minutes with additional monitoring afterward.Sympathetic Nerve BlocksA sympathetic nerve block targets the sympathetic nervous system, the automatic network that controls blood flow, sweating and digestion, which can b…The block takes 20 to 45 minutes. With monitoring, plan on two hours at the office or facility.Intrathecal Pain PumpsAn intrathecal pump is a small device implanted under the skin of the abdomen that delivers pain medication through a thin catheter directly into the…The trial takes under an hour. The implant surgery takes one to two hours and is same day. Refills take about fifteen minutes.Post-Procedure RecoveryPost-procedure recovery is the structured follow-up after an injection, ablation or implant: written instructions specific to what you had done, a pa…Observation is 20 to 30 minutes after most injections and one to three hours after sedation or an implant. Follow-up is typically at two to six weeks.
Also here
Diagnostics, injury claims and referrals.
EMG and nerve conduction studiesPerformed and read the same day by Dr. Sheikh, who is known locally as the Nerve Doc for it.→Workers' comp, auto and personal injuryTreatment and documentation for injury claims, billed to the claim rather than to you.→Refer a patientFor primary care, orthopedics, neurology, therapy and chiropractic offices.→Insurance and paymentMost plans accepted, verified before the visit.→
Where
Three New Jersey offices.
Clifton1037 US-46, Suite 103, Clifton, NJ 07013Monday, Tuesday, FridayJersey City377 Jersey Ave, Suite 250, Jersey City, NJ 07302WednesdayEdison2 Lincoln Highway, Suite 405, Edison, NJ 08820Thursday
Call (888) 233-3415 to have your insurance checked while you are on the phone.
See a specialist this week.
Three New Jersey offices, most insurance accepted, and a real opening on the calendar.