North Brunswick, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/03/2014 -- According to the Institute of Medicine, more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain at a cost of around $600 billion a year in medical treatments and lost productivity. You may have noticed that there have been many effective treatments developed for acute pain but chronic pain is another story. With the help of medical research we are finally developing ways to treat chronic pain.

Pain is the body's natural response to damage. Pain occurs when special pain receptors at the end of the nerves in the skin, muscle and organs are turned on. These receptors are turned on due to an injury or abnormal change within the body that indicates the tissues are being damaged. When this occurs, a signal travels through the spinal cord to the brain which recognizes the signal as pain. Acute pain signals travel quickly to alert the nervous system of what just happened so the body will respond appropriately. For example, when your hand touches something sharp pain receptors trigger causing you to pull your hand away. With this type of pain, specific chemicals (neurotransmitters) are released. Many of the drugs on the market today provide temporary relief by blocking these neurotransmitters. However, the fibers that carry chronic pain signals are different and often missed by the commonly used drugs. Therefore the drugs and injections which are effective for acute pain need to be repeated over and over again to treat chronic pain.

As many of you know these drugs and treatments given by most pain specialists can relieve the pain temporarily or in some cases these treatments do not work at all. Instead some people require surgery or more advanced pain treatments to destroy a nerve just to get more than short term relief.

The major breakthrough is the discovery of new treatments directly affecting another branch of the nervous system that causes and maintains chronic pain. Chronic pain can be a lifetime affliction and worsen as the years pass. The reason why narcotic pain killers, anesthetics like lidocaine, antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs and steroids) do not work long term is because they do not target this separate branch of the nervous system which carries chronic pain. Without affecting this branch of the nervous system you can cause sensitization of the entire system over time making it seem as if the pain has spread to other body parts.

This separate branch is called the Peptidergic Nervous System. It was discovered in 1883 by the British Surgeon John Marshall and Neurosurgeon Victor Horsley and was published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. Many publications have written articles since then, but it is not until now that a new treatment was discovered to treat it.

It turns out this Peptidergic nervous system carries information in both directions (from the receptor to the brain and back). When the nerve is healthy it carries nutritional factors to the organs, limbs, muscles and joints which allow the tissue to remain healthy and flourish. When these very important nerves are injured or blocked there is a buildup of neurotransmitter activity at the end receptor site which releases noxious substances causing chronic “Neuropathic Pain” in that body part. Just as importantly it can lead to a joint, muscle, or tissue decay state which does not allow good circulation and healing due to the blockage of the transport system. This neuropathic pain is the chronic pain we perceive which can spread to other body areas over time through a process called central or neuro-sensitization.

The discovery of FDA approved injectable medication which counters substances causing the pain is a major breakthrough in the treatment of this chronic pain. Once these compounds come in contact with the nerve transmitting the pain, it stops immediately. The treatment entails tracking these nerves using a detailed anatomy of their location and injecting these blocking agents in the correct locations. The medication goes to work immediately and it not only blocks the pain but it works toward healing and reversing the nerve inflammation in most cases. The treatments usually require 5-10 sessions to get lasting relief. Dr. Edward Magaziner is one of only a few physicians in this region of the country with advanced training in this new treatment.

Edward Magaziner, MD is in practice over 24 years and is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Management and is affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson and New York Medical College. He specializes and is considered a leader and pioneer in the area of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine uses the latest state of the art interventional treatments such as the use of your own stem cells, and platelet rich plasma to repair and reduce inflammation in joints, arthritis nerves, muscle, spine, discs, tendons and ligament problems naturally without the use of drugs, steroids, and surgery. He treats anyone with pain or injuries from professional athletes to weekend warriors from 9 to 90 years old.

If you suffer, or know anyone who is suffering, with acute or chronic pain contact our office located in North Brunswick, NJ at 732-297-2600 or visit our website DrEmagaziner.com.