CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Living with chronic pain is a daily battle against an unseen enemy. At Desert Pain Specialists, patients are heard, understood and supported throughout their pain management journey by a team of highly trained and compassionate physicians.

“Chronic pain can be devastating to a patient’s life,” Desert Pain founder Dr. Court Empey said. “It can hijack your job and happiness at home.” 

As a firefighter paramedic for the city of Mesquite in Nevada, Karen Hughes charged toward danger countless times. But her toughest challenge would come after what she described as a “fluke” injury. While on the job, an object struck her wrist and hand. 

The injury didn’t look severe, and X-rays showed no broken bones, so Hughes went back to work. Over the next few weeks, however, her pain kept getting worse even as her wounds appeared to heal. She went to an orthopedic specialist hoping for answers and was eventually referred to Desert Pain. 

Hughes was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, a malfunction of the nervous system that creates prolonged and excessive pain out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury. Even light touch, vibrations, pressure and changes in temperature may cause pain in the affected area. This rare condition is sometimes referred to as an “invisible” illness. 

“Some people appear young and healthy, and it’s not obvious they’re dealing with debilitating pain,” Empey said.

Complex regional pain syndrome is difficult to treat, and there’s no known cure. Faced with a lifelong prognosis of pain and limited mobility, Hughes began to feel hopeless. 

“The anxiety of losing my job and not being able to be the mom and grandma that I’d always been just sent me into a really deep depression,” she said.

Hughes started working with Empey and Dr. Spencer Wells to establish a treatment plan that encompassed both medical intervention and functional therapy. Through Desert Pain’s multitude of resources, she also added meditation, massage and acupuncture to her toolkit to help manage symptoms. 

Hughes said the caring staff at Desert Pain have supported her not only with her physical challenges, but also with the emotional aspect of chronic pain. Some of her procedures are painful, but Empey and Wells talk her through the process and never make her feel rushed. 

“They were so compassionate and so kind … It’s more than anything I’ve ever seen in any doctors,” she added. 

Empey, a St. George native, established Desert Pain in 2007 to serve an unfulfilled need in the community for the treatment of chronic pain. Each person who passes through the clinic’s doors is treated with empathy and understanding.

“It’s very rewarding when I’m able to help patients such as Karen get through a painful, sometimes lifelong, problem so they’re able to participate in things they enjoy,” Empey said.  

“Dealing with complex regional pain syndrome affects every aspect of your life,” added Harmony Heath, RN, director of nursing for Desert Pain. “I’m grateful that Karen has been able to function and enjoy life on a higher level due to the procedures and care she receives here.” 

The specialists at Desert Pain are dedicated to helping patients find relief from a wide range of chronic and acute pain conditions using all available resources, including injections, nerve blocks, regenerative medicine, physical therapy, medications and surgery. Although it isn’t possible to get every patient completely out of pain, many experience significant improvement.

Desert Pain operates a state-of-the-art facility at the Riverfront Medical Center in St. George that allows them to offer unmatched quality of care to their patients. And with satellite locations in Hurricane, Hildale (opening in September), Cedar City, Kanab, Beaver, Panguitch, Delta and Fillmore as well as Mesquite and Overton, Nevada, they’re prepared to serve the needs of the area’s growing population. 

Call 435-216-7000 or visit the Desert Pain website to schedule an appointment today.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T • 

Resources

• Desert Pain Specialists | Telephone: 435-216-7000 | Email: [email protected] | Website.
• Locations:
  • St. George: 617 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 301.
  • Hurricane: 48 S. 2500 West, Suite 110.
  • Cedar City: 1760 N. Main St.
  • Beaver: 68 N. Main St.
  • Panguitch: 200 N. 400 East.
  • Kanab: 348 N. 300 West.
  • Delta: 126 White Sage Ave.
  • Fillmore: 65 N. Main St.
  • Mesquite, Nevada: 340 Falcon Ridge Parkway, Suite 600.
  • Overton, Nevada: 475 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.

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