"I can't walk more than 2 blocks, I can't bend down," said Sonia Rivera.
Like millions of Americans, Sonia Rivera is battling chronic back pain.
Whether it's back pain or neck pain, a new pain center at Montefiore Hospital is designed to offer many treatment options in one location.
"We talk about all their prior pain therapies to really kind of figure out what they had, was it the appropriate regimen," said Dr. Naum Shaparin.
In New York State, there were 22.5 million prescriptions for narcotic painkillers in 2010, up 50 percent since 2007.
Dr Naum Shaparin, director of the new clinic, says they try to use other treatments or procedures to help people get off medication.
Sonia is having a procedure called Radio Frequency Ablation. Using X-ray guidance, doctors find the source of pain, then they heat and destroy the nerve to stop it.
Dr. Shaparin says they can also use ultrasound imaging to inject numbing and steroid medication.
They also offer capsaicin treatment. Capsaicin is made from hot chili peppers, the high dose patch can help people who've had a painful episode of shingles.
Dr. Sapna Parikh tried something called a Tens Unit, a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device that Dr. Shaparin says tricks the brain into feeling the vibration instead of the pain.
Meril Schulman says it gives her temporary relief for her neck pain caused by arthritis.
"I feel like the relaxation in the muscles it's almost like a mini massage," she said.
It's not a walk-in clinic, you have to be refereed by another doctor.
They say they do accept most insurance plans.
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