Our Philosophy
Treatment at the ROC focuses on non-surgical orthopedic care and management. We begin with a thorough evaluation that includes not only a detailed evaluation of the musculoskeletal symptoms, but also additional factors that may affect recovery. Treatment is optimized to minimize narcotic and habit-forming medications while maximizing recovery. Our services are aimed at promoting movement, improving function and helping you achieve your personal goals.
Pain Management
Effective pain management incorporates management of the orthopedic condition and the management of subsequent factors that lead to delayed recovery, such as poor sleep, stress, and the use of habit-forming medications. Effective pain management includes thorough evaluation and treatment in several disciplines including:
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Orthopedic – inflammation, strength and flexibility.
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Neurologic – assessment of nerve function, presence of neuropathy, radiculopathy, neuropathic pain and central pain sensitization problems
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Pharmacologic – optimization and simplification of medications
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Psychosocial – the influence of factors such as: fear of re-injury, stress, insomnia, depression, anger, dysfunctional family and social structure.
Electrodiagnostic Medicine
Electrodiagnostic evaluations are performed at the ROC. These include tests such as electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS). This evaluation can help in the diagnosis and treatment of pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy. Electrodiagnostic Medicine is the area of medicine in which specially trained physicians use information from the clinical history and physical examination, along with the scientific method of recording and analyzing biologic electrical potentials, to diagnose and treat neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Thompson has been board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and performs these evaluations himself without the use of a technician. In this way the test can be modified as necessary to focus the evaluation on the particular findings of the patient to efficiently obtain the diagnosis.
Interventional Pain Management
In patients with localized areas of pain and inflammation, localized injections can be helpful to facilitate recovery. Injections should be followed by rehabilitative exercises to optimize treatment. Therapeutic injections include joint and soft tissue procedures performed in the office under ultrasound as well as procedures performed in the surgical center under fluoroscopy. These include cervical and lumbar epidural injections, selective nerve blocks, facet injections and medial branch rhyzotomies.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also referred to as CBT, combines the psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of the whole person. Clinicians use the integration of these concepts to understand the trajectory of a person’s injury and their pathway to health. CBT focuses on the thoughts, emotions, behaviors that impact daily life and your emotional experience of pain. CBT is usually short-term and has been used to help those living with chronic pain. CBT is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments, including physical reconditioning or medications.
Occupational Medicine
The Occupational Medicine staff recognize the critical importance of timely and thorough reporting, communication amongst all WC stakeholders, and the provision of high quality timely care. Thorough documentation to address Utilization Review procedures helps to provide patients with appropriate care. The primary goal is to return the injured worker to their pre-injury status in the shortest time possible, or to help them effectively manage their permanent residuals and reach maximal medical improvement.
Med-Legal Evaluations
Dr. Thompson is an experienced work comp med-legal evaluator. He has over twenty years of experience in treating and managing work comp patients and addressing complicated issues of causation, apportionment and impairment. He has taught classes in the use of the AMA Guidelines and is frequently used for QME and AME evaluations in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Orthopedics and Pain Management.
Functional Restoration Program
Our Functional Restoration Program allows patients who have been stalled in their recovery, the expertise and support of a multidisciplinary team in a day program setting to complete their recovery and improve their ability to manage any permanent residuals. We integrate physical therapy, group cognitive behavioral therapy, nutrition, expressive therapies, therapeutic movement, vocational counseling, and medical meetings focused on medication management. Our goal is to reduce the ill-effects of prolonged use of medications, post-operative pain and complications, and comorbidities that accompany prolonged disability such as increased weight gain, depression and anxiety. Short and long-term goals are continuously reinforced, and include an increase in function, return to work, increased activity, reduction in pain, reduction/elimination of reliance on opioid analgesia, reduction in emotional distress, mastery of coping techniques, and decreased medical resource utilization.