Agnesian

The pain might start with a specific incident, such as a sprain. Or there may be an underlying condition or disease, such as arthritis or a slipped disc, which causes chronic pain. Pain concerns such as headache, low back pain, arthritis pain or neurogenic pain, which results from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself, are especially common as individuals get older.

Pain can be caused by diseases and conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, sickle cell disease or post-polio syndrome. Pain can also result from cancer or cancer treatments. Whatever the cause, pain can have a dramatic, negative effect on your daily life. The Center for Pain Care team at Agnesian HealthCare hopes to reduce the adverse effects of pain in a patient's life.

The Center for Pain Care evaluates and diagnoses each patient individually through various innovative procedures to determine care needs. Staff can then help patients select appropriate measures to relieve the cause of the pain. After evaluation, an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals is assembled to best serve the patients needs. This approach allows the pain team to offer the full spectrum of treatment available. Patients will then be returned to their referring provider for continuing care.

Pain Medicine specialists evaluate and manage chronic pain conditions, in addition to offering interventional procedures, such as:

• Acupuncture
• Trigger point injections
• Sympathetic nerve blocks
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Selective nerve blocks
• Neuroablative procedures, radiofrequency neurolysis
• Medication management
• Joint infections, facet blocks
• Intervertebral discs: percutaneous disc decompression/nucleoplasty
• Epidural injections
• Diagnostic discography
• Blood Patch
• Vertebroplasty

The Center for Pain Care specializes in the treatment of workman's compensation and personal injuries, as well as health concerns associated with motor vehicle accidents.

 

Pain Medicine specialists include: Pontus Ostman, MD, anesthesiologist, medical director; Eugenia Daniela Hord, MD, neurology; John Choi, MD, anesthesiology; and Mark Koharchick, PhD, LPC, psychotherapist, Pain Program coordinator.

Physiatrists are specialists in diagnosing and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system. They:

• Perform thorough history and physical examinations, and order appropriate testing to find the source of a patient's pain, injury or disability.
• Develop an individualized treatment program tailored to meet patients' needs, utilizing other healthcare professionals including behavioral health specialists, physical therapists, pain medicine specialist and neurologists.
• Utilize a comprehensive approach that produces not only cost-effective results, but also a high degree of patient satisfaction.
• Restore function and reduce pain. Treat acute and chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders.
• Perform EMG neurodiagnostic studies.
• Employ a variety of treatment methods, including medication management and monitoring patients' progress in the overall treatment plan.

The Physiatry team includes: Elizabeth Bensen, MD, physiatry; Linda Walby, MD, physiatry; and Patricia Michels, APNP, physiatry.

Pain Medicine 
Fond du Lac Surgery Center 
421 Camelot Drive, Fond du Lac 

(920) 926-4939

Physiatry (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) 
Fond du Lac Regional Clinic 
420 E. Division Street, Fond du Lac 
(920) 926-8571