Examining Literature on Cervical Transforaminal Injections

An accomplished physician with more than 30 years of experience in pain management, Robert Windsor, MD, served as the chief executive officer and chief medical officer of National Pain Care, Inc., until 2016. Throughout his career, Robert Windsor, MD, has participated in clinical trials that examine topics such as cervical transforaminal injections. 

At the time of this study, there was a considerable lack of available literature in the realm of cervical transforaminal injections. The researchers found this gap in peer-reviewed research when they set out to find information about these injections and the safest techniques for performing them. 

The study team searched the MEDLINE and Embase medical registries for the purposes of this research. In their findings, they concluded that a universal standard of care for performing cervical transforaminal injections was lacking. As a result, they called for more research in this area to assess the risks of the procedure and determine a set of best practices for performing the injections.

Effective Pain Management Techniques for Chronic Pain

Georgia-based physician Robert Windsor, MD, specializes in pain management and chronic pain conditions. Robert Windsor, MD, is skilled in several interventional pain management procedures, ranging from minimally invasive to surgical techniques.

Interventional pain management relieves or eliminates chronic pain such as headaches and lower back pain. Some of the most common procedures include:

- Epidural steroid injections. This treatment is recommended for patients experiencing first-time neck or lower back pain due to a pinched nerve or damaged disc. A single injection can provide relief for a few weeks to a few years. 

- Radiofrequency rhizotomy. This minimally invasive procedure prevents pain signals from reaching the brain by ablating, or burning, impacted nerves with an electrode-tipped needle. While a patient may need assistance traveling home after the procedure, most patients recover within 72 hours. 

- Electrical stimulation. If less invasive procedures are ineffective, doctors may recommend this procedure to modulate pain signals with electrical pulses delivered to the nerve through an implanted device.

Causes and Treatments of Sciatica

Physician, author, and academic Robert Windsor, MD, has trained more than 100 interventional pain management physicians through his fellowship program at Emory University. Robert Windsor, MD, specializes in diagnosing and treating chronic pain conditions that involve the spine, including sciatica. 

The sciatic nerve runs from the base of the spinal cord through the leg and foot. If this nerve gets impacted by a herniated disk or overgrown vertebra, it can cause mild to severe discomfort. 

Sciatica pain generally originates in the back and radiates down the lower half of the body. Sciatica sufferers can feel a diverse set of sensations, including numbness and sharp pains that are aggravated by sitting, sneezing, or coughing. 

Frequent exercise and good posture can help prevent or alleviate sciatica pain, but severe cases may require a doctor’s visit. If over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers do not reduce the pain, sciatica patients may need several rounds of corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation. In rare cases in which sciatica impairs bladder control or causes other complications, surgery may be needed to remove pressure from the nerve.

Causes and Symptoms of Growth Hormone Deficiency

With a focus on age and pain management, award-winning physician Robert Windsor, MD, practices physical medicine in Georgia. Although he has experience in treating numerous conditions, Robert Windsor, MD, is specifically interested in the evaluation and treatment of adult-onset growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

GHD develops when the pituitary gland fails to produce the right amount of growth hormone to sustain the human body. When this condition occurs in children, it delays the rate at which their body grows and develops. In most cases, GHD in kids is caused because the hypothalamus fails to stimulate the pituitary gland so it releases growth hormone.

Adults can also experience GHD. In adults, the condition is typically the result of damage to the pituitary gland. This is caused by either a head injury or a pituitary tumor. In the event of a tumor, surgery may be recommended to have the tumor removed before the condition can be treated. Inactivity of the hypothalamus can also cause GHD in adults, though this reason is less common in adults than children.

With adult-onset GHD, patients typically experience significant changes in themselves. Most often, these individuals notice a decrease in their usual endurance and energy levels. They may also notice an increase in body fat around the waist, impaired concentration, osteoporosis, a decreased interest in sexual activity, and a desire to avoid social contact.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections - What to Expect

The founder of the Georgia Spine & Sports Physicians Spine & Sports Fellowship, Robert Windsor, MD, most recently served as the CEO and chief medical officer of National Pain Care, Inc. Having worked in the pain management industry for more than three decades, Robert Windsor, MD, has developed a familiarity with such procedures as sacroiliac joint injections.

A sacroiliac joint injection, or sacroiliac joint block, treats sciatica symptoms caused by sacroiliac joint dysfunction and low back pain. As evidenced by the name, these injections are made into the sacroiliac joints, which connect the hip with the spine on both sides of the body. When this area becomes inflamed, the pain it causes can radiate to the leg, groin, abdomen, or buttocks.

In most cases, a sacroiliac joint injection takes between 20 to 30 minutes. During the procedure, patients will receive an IV with medication that helps them relax if they are feeling nervous. While lying on an x-ray table, the skin over the sacroiliac joints is cleansed and numbed. Using a small needle, physicians inject contrast dye into the joint with the guidance of an x-ray. Once physicians know the joint is accepting medication by checking the location of the contrast dye, they slowly inject anti-inflammatory cortisone.

Although patients can usually move and return home shortly after the procedure, they may continue experiencing some numbness or weakness in the leg for several hours. Pain may also continue for a few days following the procedure.

The Relationship between Exercise and Inflammation

Pain management physician Robert Windsor, MD, has been practicing medicine for more than three decades. A lifelong athlete, Robert Windsor, MD, is a strong advocate for exercise as a treatment option for various health conditions.

Long-term, or chronic, inflammation contributes to numerous diseases, including cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. Exercise reduces the body’s inflammatory response by prompting the muscles to release interleukin 6 (IL-6). This small protein fights inflammation by reducing levels of TNF alpha, a protein that triggers inflammation. In addition, IL-6 inhibits the signaling effects of interleukin 1 beta, which causes inflammation that can damage the pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin.

According to studies, at least 20 minutes of brisk walking is necessary to reduce inflammation in the body. However, other research notes that the longer and more intense the workout, the more the muscles produce IL-6.

Studies also note that IL-6 is likely not the only factor affecting inflammation in the body after exercise. Working out also increase the levels of interleukin-15 (IL-15), which regulates abdominal fat, another factor believed to promote inflammation in the body.

What Is Discogenic Pain?

Robert Windsor, MD, focuses much of his practice on interventional pain management. As testament to his knowledge in the field, Robert Windsor, MD, has trained more than 100 physicians in the subspecialty and has written, taught, and spoken about topics such as discogenic pain.

Discogenic pain may result from degenerative disc disease, a medical condition that develops as people grow older. Normally, spinal discs cushion the vertebrae of the spine. As people age, gain weight, or perform repetitive movements, these discs can become compressed and deteriorate.

Discogenic pain may also be caused by inflammation of the nerve receptors near the spine. Often, this inflammation results from injuries to the spine or discs. Genetics can also cause discogenic pain to develop by changing the chemical composition of the discs and making them dry out or wear down faster than normal.

Regardless of the cause, discogenic pain is often felt in the lower back, particularly when lying down, coughing, sitting, or bending. The pain also may be felt in the neck and down the arms.

Age Management - A Hormone-Based Approach to Wellness

Robert Windsor, MD, is an age management physician who has obtained diplomate status from the American Board of Anti-Aging/Regenerative Medicine. Age management professionals like Robert Windsor, MD, use information gleaned from a wide range of health and medical fields to help people maintain and improve their health as they age.

Age management deals with more than simple anti-aging efforts. Nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations all enter into age management practice, helping people to feel healthy for as long as possible by optimizing hormone production.

Nutrition work in age management encourages a balanced diet as well as specific food intake. Some foods and eating patterns optimize the production and use of good hormones and encourage overall health.

Age management takes a hormone-based approach to common exercise goals. Prevention of muscle degeneration, building of lean muscle, and burning of fat can all be improved hormonally with specific exercise plans.

Lifestyle changes in age management medicine focus on the encouragement of healthy hormone levels. Frequent stress and low-quality sleep can change the way the body uses hormones, or encourage the production of hormones that cause systemic illnesses to progress.

STRAW Defines the Reproductive Aging Process in Women

Georgia-based medical practitioner Robert Windsor, MD, has performed outpatient pain management procedures for more than three decades. The recipient of a number of accolades, including the PASSOR Clinician Award, Robert Windsor, MD, also focuses on age management and has written extensively on the impact of age-related hormone modulation on women’s health.

Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) is a diagram of hormone modulations associated with menopause. Divided into seven stages, STRAW delineates the conditions that appear throughout a woman’s cycle from menstruation to post-menopause. 

The reproductive stage is divided into early, peak and late periods. During the late period, menstrual cycles become more irregular and levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increase, which correlates with a lower egg supply. During the menopausal stage, a woman may regularly skip several period cycles.

Common symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats will appear during this stage. The last period marks the beginning menopause. The early postmenopausal stage encompasses the first five years following the final menses.

Obtaining the ABAARM Certification

Robert Windsor, MD, has led an accomplished career in clinical practice and academics. Over the course of more than 25 years, he taught dozens of medical courses, practiced as a physician at a wide range of hospitals, and served as the medical director of several facilities. In 2000, Robert Windsor, MD, became a diplomate in integrative/functional medicine as certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine (ABAARM).

Developed by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), the ABAARM provides professionals in a variety of medical specialties with certification of their solid understanding of anti-aging medical care. To obtain board certification, professionals must pass a written and oral examination. They must also commit to continuing their education on an ongoing basis.

To be eligible for the ABAARM certification, doctors must hold an active medical license and have at least five years of experience practicing in a clinical setting. In an effort to demonstrate their commitment to learning, applicants need to prove that they have completed 200 hours of continuing medical education in the past eight years and be a member of the A4M.

Once the basic requirements are met, doctors must complete a course consisting of case studies, article reviews, treatment programs, and diagnoses. The written and oral certification exams are based on the information taught in this course.

Study Confirms Links between Exercise and Heart Health

A respected presence in the Marietta, Georgia, community, Robert Windsor, MD, expanded National Pain Care, Inc., to include numerous health care centers with a similar quality focus. Respected in areas such as exercise and fitness, Robert Windsor, MD, is the author of the article “The Evidence-Based Exercise Prescription.”

One area of long-term research activity to which Dr. Windsor draws attention is the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study, which began in 1976 and involved the participation of more than 120,000 female nurses within the 30 to 55 age group. Lasting decades, this longitudinal study revealed an inverse correlation between increased incidences of colon cancer and multivitamin and folate use.

Another area of analysis within the study centered on the relationship between exercise and heart disease, with physical activity information collected and compared with clinical examinations for nearly a decade. Among the areas tested each year were mass index, fasting plasma glucose levels, and blood pressure, as well as hypertension.

With proper adjustments in place, elevated total physical activity was found to correlate with reduced coronary event risks. Women who walked briskly at least one to three hours weekly had their coronary event risk reduced by 30 percent, as compared with sedentary women. A key finding of this and other studies has been that vigorous exercise boosts quality of life and fitness and does not cause harm.

The Importance of Exercise For Those in the Least Fit Category

Based in Marietta, Georgia, Robert Windsor, MD, most recently guided National Pain Care, Inc., as chief medical officer and oversaw the expansion of a leading company in its field. In his paper “The Evidence-Based Exercise Prescription,” Robert Windsor, MD, brings focus to the importance of fitness in decreasing incidence of injuries and chronic disease as adults age. 

University of Toronto physicians have found that both muscle strength and aerobic power decline by approximately 10 percent each decade during adult life. At the same time, a “progressive exercise prescription” is effective in boosting function by between 10 and 20 percent. This means that proper conditioning can elevate functional capacities in ways that decrease biological age by as much as two decades. 

The most significant health results from a consistent fitness routine are experienced among those who started out in the “least fit” category. A major difference in mortality rates is recorded among those in that range and those in the next category upward. By contrast, an Institute for Aerobic Fitness study found only a small difference in likelihood of dying from chronic disease among those in the high fitness category and those in the medium-fitness category.