FAQ

 We accept Sharp Community Medical Group, Workers’ Compensation, and self-pay patients. 

For patients referred for NCS/EMG testing, we also accept Medicare and most major insurance plans.

 Dr. Scott is a medical doctor and specialist in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions, with residency and fellowship training and a focus on spine-related problems. While he is not a spine surgeon, only a small percentage of patients with back or neck pain require surgery. He works closely with spine surgeons and refers patients when conservative treatments are unlikely to help or have been exhausted. X-rays and MRI images are reviewed directly with each patient, and diagnoses and treatment recommendations are discussed before any care plan is initiated. He is able to provide the appropriate medications, therapies, and nonsurgical treatments, including diagnostic and therapeutic injections.

 These tests, also called electrodiagnostic studies, are used to diagnose nerve injuries or disorders in the arms, hands, legs, feet, neck, or back. Dr. Scott completed post-graduate medical training in peripheral nerve injuries and disorders and is board-certified to complete electrodiagnostic studies. The studies require the application of small electrical stimulations to the forearms and hands or to the legs and feet to measure nerve functions. They also include the placement of a small acupuncture-type needle into several muscles of the affected body parts. These tests are uncomfortable, but well-tolerated for most people. Dr. Scott has had each one of these tests completed on his own person and understands the degree of discomfort they may cause. He takes every precaution to avoid excessive discomfort, and he typically applies a local anesthetic to the skin prior to needle testing. Testing typically requires 45 minutes of time. 

 Simply put, a cortisone injection is an injection that includes cortisone (corticosteroid), which is the most potent injectable anti-inflammatory available. Most injections provided by physicians include a cortisone medication along with a local anesthetic. Trigger point injections are injections into the superficial musculature meant to reduce muscle tension and pain. Trigger point injections typically do not require the addition of cortisone to be effective. Rather, they include the anesthetics Lidocaine and Marcaine only. Occasionally, Dr. Scott determines that a patient will benefit from the addition of cortisone to the trigger point injections.

 Dr. Scott holds the highest qualification for the completion of electrodiagnostic studies and board certification by the American Board of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. This certification is typically offered to physical medicine specialists, such as Dr. Scott, and to neurologists who have expressed post-graduate interest in completing electrodiagnostic studies, completed additional post-residency training, and have passed the required board certification every 10 years. Dr. Scott is interested in the diagnosis of spinal nerve and peripheral nerve injuries that occur as a result of direct trauma, sports injuries, or repetitive stress injuries.

Dr. Scott does not treat chronic pain with opioids.

 In many cases, yes. Any period of rest is dependent on the type of injury and the type of work. Dr. Scott typically recommends a half to full day of rest following the procedures. Ultimately, the purpose of most spinal injection procedures is to reduce pain and increase functional capabilities, including exercise and work activities.