A Comprehensive Approach to Pain Management
Frankford’s Pain Management Center, located at Frankford Hospital – Torresdale, provides comprehensive treatment of patients
with pain disorders and conditions. The Center's team is led by Director Thomas Zavitsanos, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist
and pain specialist with more than 18 years of experience. Dr. Zavitsanos is assisted by Lisa Nocera, MD, also a board-certified
anesthesiologist and pain specialist, with more than 10 years of experience. Together, Drs. Zavitasanos and Nocera, along
with a nurse practitioner with specialized training in pain management, offer patients the latest treatment options and technology.
Patients experiencing pain will receive a thorough evaluation that includes a review of their medical history as well as a
survey of pertinent medical reports and diagnostic studies. After a physical examination, patients receive recommendations
regarding diagnosis, testing, specialist referrals and treatment, which can include diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
as well as medications. Following treatment, patients receive additional assessment and pain management as indicated.
Conditions
Clinical conditions treated at Frankford’s Pain Management Center include:
- Back, neck, limb, abdominal and groin pain
- Postoperative pain
- Headaches
- Cancer pain
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), sympathetically mediated pain and complex regional pain syndromes
- Acute herpetic and postherpetic neuralgia
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Post-thoracotomy and post-laminectomy pain syndromes
- Facet and sacroiliac joint generated pain syndromes
- Craniofacial pain and atypical headaches
- Torticollis
- Spasticity disorders such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy
- Phantom pain
Treatments
To treat these conditions, Frankford’s Pain Management Center works with patients to design the most appropriate and effective
plan of care that can include diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks, drug therapy and/or one or more of the
following innovative interventions:
- Epidural steroid injections (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal)
- Stellate ganglion blocks
- Brachial plexus blocks
- Lumbar sympathetic blocks
- Facet joint injections/median branch blockade
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Selective nerve root blocks/tranforaminal injection
- Peripheral nerve blocks (femoral, ilioinguinal, genitofemoral)
- Intravenous regional sympathetic blockade
- Celiac plexus blockade
- Hypogastric plexus blockade
- Trigger point injections
- Neurolytic blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Pars defect injections
- Cryoneurolysis
to Reach the Pain Management Center...
Frankford’s Pain Management Center works closely with a patient’s primary care and/or referring physician and, if necessary,
the patient’s insurance case manager in order to obtain the proper documentation and referrals necessary for treatment. Appointments
are readily available and can be made calling (215) 612-4060.
Follow-up appointments can be scheduled by calling the Pain Management Center at 215-612-4060.
