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Our Occupational Pain Recovery Center is the only pain management program in Georgia dedicated to helping injured workers recover through the use of non-narcotic medications exclusively.
Our medical staff has had great success in controlling pain and improving quality of life for our patients through our unique and extremely effective approach to pain control. Often, we succeed in returning patients considered completely disabled back to productive employment.
In a “nutshell”: We help patients who have become heavily dependent on medications such as methadone, MS Contin, oxycodone and hydrocodone to transition off narcotic medications.
The benefits of coming off narcotic medications for a chronic pain patient are numerous, including increased alertness and less drowsiness/“fogginess”. In addition, patients often become “tolerant” to narcotic medications, requiring higher and higher doses to experience any pain relief.
Because patients usually become dependent (and sometimes addicted) to narcotic pain medications after a few months, we often prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) to assist patients to comfortably “detox” from narcotic (opioid) medications.
Suboxone itself is a strong pain reliever and some patients may choose to remain on Suboxone for continued pain relief. Unlike addictive narcotic medications, Suboxone usually remains effective over time without the need for increasing dosage. Additionally, there are typically much fewer side effects such as drowsiness, fatigue and constipation. Patients usually report feeling “normal” on Suboxone instead of feeling “drugged up” on medications such as methadone, Dilaudid, MS Contin, Oxycontin and Percocet.
Dr. Banov is specially trained and SAMSHA certified in the administration of Suboxone as well as experienced in the use of “adjuvant”, non-narcotic medications to control pain including Cymbalta, Lyrica and Lamictal. As a residency-trained, board-certified occupational medicine physician, he is also experienced in communicating with workers compensation nurse case managers, case adjusters and referring physicians to help ensure the best outcome for the injured employee.
WellStep welcomes workers’ compensation referrals from nurse case managers and adjusters. Please call us at 770-753-9898 or fax written authorization to 770-667-2238.
If you are a patient receiving workers’ compensation treatment for chronic pain at a traditional pain clinic or specialist’s office and wish to consult with our physician, please contact your case manager who can call us at 770-753-9898 with authorization.