SAFER, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC MUSCLE PAIN

Pain-Relieving Botox® Injection Delivered with Pinpoint Accuracy To Deep Muscles Using Real-Time Medical Imaging

BIOWIRE2K NEW YORK--(BW HealthWire)--June 6, 2002--A new approach for pain relief to the many who suffer from chronic, debilitating muscle spasms has been developed and refined by Alan M. Leff, pain management specialist and the former Director of Pain Management at New York University Hospital.

The new technique brings together real-time medical imaging and an uncommon use of a powerful drug widely used for cosmetic purposes. Alan M. Leff, M.D. has designed a procedure using imaging technology to guide injections of the muscle-relaxing drug Botox(R) into muscle spasms deep within the body. Computed tomography (CT) imaging provides a real-time, cross-sectional picture of the patient's musculature.

By being able to "see" the affected area, Dr. Leff can administer not only smaller doses of the muscle-relaxant drug, but do so with pinpoint accuracy, avoiding soft tissue structures such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, and fat. The benefits of this procedure translate into enhanced, safe pain-relief for many of the people suffering from chronic muscle spasm in the neck, back, and leg. Pain relief lasts, typically, for three months. Dr. Leff currently is Medical Director of the Pain Management & Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York (www.painmanagementny.com), a private practice located on Manhattan's East Side.

The CT guided procedure has been used successfully by Dr. Leff to treat chronic muscle spasms particularly in the back and neck, but can be administered in the forearm, lower leg and other areas where chronic spasm occurs. Causes of such muscle pain may result from, but are not limited to, neurological diseases, Cerebral Palsy, trauma from an accident such as whiplash, and improper muscle use. Dr. Leff also uses Botox(R) for the successful treatment of post-stroke spasticity.

In addition to being safer and more effective, the CT Scan/Botox(R) technique has other advantages over traditional methods to treat muscle spasm. "Botox(R) acts as a primary relief agent," says Dr. Leff, "directly targeting the muscle spasm. Anesthetics like Lidocaine and Bupivacaine are secondary relief agents and only dull the pain. Consequently, when Botox(R) treatments are used in combination with rehabilitation programs like physical therapy, success rates are elevated. Once the muscle is relaxed from the Botox(R) injection, the muscle-spasm can often be broken by the therapist."

In some cases, CT Scan guided Botox(R) injections can break the cycle of muscle spasm long enough to lead to permanent relief of chronic pain.

The procedure consists of three steps:

Diagnostic Evaluation: During the first visit, the patient is thoroughly examined and their medical history is reviewed. Based on this assessment, it is determined whether pain management is the appropriate choice for the patient. If a diagnosis of deep muscle spasm is made and it is determined that the patient would benefit from a deep-muscle injection of Botox(R), the patient is scheduled for the procedure.

Imaging the Area: Working with the CT Scan technician, Dr. Leff is able to identify the exact area of spasm by taking 10-millimeter cross-sections of the internal structures of the patient. Once located, the area is translated into measurements that direct the location and depth of the injection. A washable dye marks the spot on the patient's skin at which the deep-muscle injection will be made, and a local anesthetic is administered.

Delivering the Injection: A needle is inserted to the depth indicated by the CT Scan measurements without damage to the surrounding organs. Contrast (dye) is administered by injection and viewed on the CT Scan screen to confirm accuracy of the delivery point within the body. Following confirmation, the Boxtox(R) serum is injected. The patient is conscious throughout the procedure and relief is generally achieved over one to two weeks.

The procedure takes approximately twenty minutes and is virtually painless.

About Dr. Alan M. Leff:
Former Director of the Pain Management Department at New York University Medical Center, Dr. Alan M. Leff is currently in private practice as Director of Pain Management & Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York. Dr. Leff oversees all patient care and leads the team in developing personalized treatment plans for each patient. Dr. Leff's primary goal is to restore function and well being in all of the Center's patients. Dr. Leff has over thirty years combined experience in Anesthesiology and Pain Management and is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine.

About Pain Management & Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York:
With convenient locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Pain Management & Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York is New York's premier full service pain management center. The specialists at the Center realize that the only way to effectively manage pain is to focus on the patients' pain and the way it affects their lives. The experts take a multidisciplinary approach to pain management, which involves: medication management, pain management techniques, physical therapy, massage, counseling, feedback, and movement therapy such as Feldenkrais(R). For more information visit www.painmanagementny.com or call 646.521.0404.

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© 2002 Pain Management & Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York. All rights reserved.