The Pain Management Center of MidCoast Maine is a specialty care center designed to provide a comprehensive pain management program.

Facilities and Staff

We are located in a 1,500 square foot building at 721 Bath Road, in Wiscasset, Maine. The staff consists of a Board Certified Pain Management physician, nurse practitioner, along with various ancillary personnel including nurses and administrative personnel. The Pain Management Center is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment in this area. Practitioners at the Center are specialists in interventional pain management with extensive training and experience.

Appointments & Emergencies

Appointments are made through our office from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday by phoning (207) 882-1113 in Wiscasset, ME. All initial appointments will need a referral from your primary care provider. In case of an emergency or if you have any serious complications or side effects, please report to the closest emergency room and inform the physician to contact the Center.

Pain!

We have all experienced it at one time or another. If you are living in constant pain, you probably have tried every idea, medication, and have been to a host of doctors. You may be unable to work or to do as much work as you could before you were in pain. It disrupts your home life and work, and is often misunderstood by others, who cannot see the cause of your pain.

Scope of the Problem

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for a long period of time or at least beyond the normal healing period. Seventy-five million Americans suffer from chronic pain and 50 million of them suffer with some disability.

• Pain costs $120 billion each year.
• Unrelieved pain can lead to unemployment and decreased productivity.
• Unrelieved pain is associated with alcohol and medication abuse.

Understanding Chronic Pain

Acute pain is similar to the alarm that stops. It usually starts with an injury or illness. Pain gates in the body open to allow pain messages through. When the message has reached the brain, it responds in two ways - by protecting the body from further damage and by closing the pain gates to reduce the level of pain.

Sometimes pain does not go away after initial treatment, and it becomes a chronic or a constant pain. Ongoing chronic or constant pain, also known as intractable pain, is like an alarm that keeps sounding, and can make it difficult for a person to lead a normal life. Family, work, income, and lifestyle can all be negatively affected by intractable pain. Receiving effective treatment for pain can reduce the costs of ongoing care. Two people with the same injury or illness may feel different types or degrees of pain.

It is important to know that the type or degree of pain you feel may not indicate how serious your injury or illness is.

Benefits of Appropriate Pain Treatment:

• Saves lives - patients in severe pain who are not treated have been known to commit suicide and to end their suffering.
• Reduces the chances of developing additional physical problems or making existing problems worse.
• Reduces suffering for patients and families.
• Returns the patient to being in charge of his or her life.
• Allows the patient to become more productive in society - through work, family life, or social activities.
• Reduces the cost of medical care.

Consequences of Mismanaged or Under-Managed Pain

Mismanaged or under treated pain can result in:

• Extensive, costly, unhelpful work-ups and treatment
• Dysfunction in family, vocational, and social life
• Mental and physical suffering
• Increased disability costs
• Increased yearly expenditures

Evaluation

During your first visit to The Pain Management Center, Dr Kazalski will do a comprehensive evaluation of your problem.

This evaluation includes:

• Complete review of all pertinent medical records
• Comprehensive physical assessment
• An in-depth pain profile
• Comprehensive psychological evaluation when appropriate

So upon contacting The Pain Management Center, you will be asked to complete an evaluation form,{click here to download form in pdf format} that asks for specific information about your pain problems with detailed treatment history. After arrival you may undergo further testing.

Goals of Treatment

The major goal of pain management is to put you back in charge of your life. The overall relief from chronic pain depends on more than just treating the damaged area of the body. It is possible that you will always have to live with a certain amount of pain, but you can learn to work and enjoy life in spite of it. Our aim is to make progress with small victories which add up and produce a big improvement in the quality of your life.