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ADDRESSING YOUR SKIN NEEDS
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Farmington Hills
(On the east side of Northwestern I-Aw9
between 15 Mile Road & midcllekelt Road)
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AntiLal
Chicken Soup Cook Off

2nd

Sunday, January 29 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm

@ The Corners: 2075 Walnut Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI

• Taste soups from amateur and professional entrants • Live musics

• Light sandwiches for purchase • Vote for "The People's Choice Award".

S

• Nick's Country Oven • Lulu's Coney Island •
• Stage Deli • Tony's Deli • Sunny's • The Learning Center •

Tickets

$3/child, $5/adult, $15/family
To purchase tickets in advance, call 248-406-4255

26 January 26 • 2012

Pain from page 24

and focus that Schubiner
provided, as well as the
group experience, par-
ticularly valuable.
"There's a certain
kind of healing that
occurs in a group,"
she said. "The sense
of community is very
important."
Dr. Talia Ziv is a West
Bloomfield psychother- Dr. Talia Ziv
apist who has referred
patients with chronic
pain to Schubiner.
"I do believe that human beings are
mind-body-spirit connected," Ziv said.
"Basically, what I learned from him
[Schubiner] is that their pain is not
imagined; its real even though quite
often there are no medical problems
or pathology present, and I learned
that people do not have to suffer and
live in pain for the rest of their livee

can make chronic back
or neck pain more dif-
ficult to treat.
When traditional
methods such as injec-
tions or therapy are
unsuccessful, Schechet
uses acupuncture,
which he studied more
than 10 years ago at
UCLA in California.
"Acupuncture is
a small part of my
practice, but it is
sometimes effective when nothing else
works:' said Schechet, who is board-
certified in the areas of anesthesia and
pain management. "We don't know
exactly how acupuncture works, but
studies show it seems to increase
endorphins."
Schechet also uses a procedure
known as trigger-point injections,
which, unlike acupuncture, is covered
under most health insurance plans.
He prescribes pain medication spar-
Effective Mix Of Treatments
The majority of patients seen by
ingly, especially drugs that contain
Dr. Joel Schechet at the Michigan
narcotics.
Orthopedic Institute in Southfield
"I don't want to subject people to a
have pain caused by various spine-
lifetime of addiction," he said, adding
related issues. Schechet uses a com-
that many patients have gotten relief
bination of treatment methods that
from non-steroidal pain medications
include local cortisone injections,
or antidepressants such as duloxetine
physical therapy and medication.
(Cymbalta) or milnacipran (Savella).
Bill Berlin of Oak Park was in severe "One patient said she had gotten her
pain from a degenera-
whole life back."
tive disk in his lower
When Schechet
back when he sought
encounters a patient
help from Schechet.
who has persistent
Despite his high level
pain with no discern-
of discomfort, he was
ible cause, he will usu-
reluctant to try the
ally make a referral to
cortisone injections
a local neurologist.
that Schechet recom-
Because the
mended. Finally, he
Michigan Medical
agreed. To his relief, the
Marijuana Act
pain disappeared after
(MMMA) was passed
a single series of injec-
in 2008, more than
tions.
200,000 patients have
Dr. Joel Sche chet
"I crawled into his
applied for registra-
office, and I ended up
tion identification
dancing out of there said Berlin. "He cards, which are necessary to purchase
was like a magician with that needle.
the drug from a licensed caregiver.
The relief was almost instantaneous;
According to the law, which has come
it was incredible."
under criticism for its many ambigui-
Two years later, Berlin is still pain
ties, chronic or debilitating pain is one
free. He has not had subsequent test-
of the eligible conditions for obtaining
ing to determine whether the disk
a prescription.
has actually healed; he says he is
Critics contend other equally effec-
content to be free of the debilitating
tive forms of treatment are available
pain he experienced when he first
that do not involve the use of a drug
saw Schechet.
still technically illegal, according to
Schechet and Schubiner agree that
federal law, even though its use for
changes or abnormalities that show
medical purposes has been legalized
up on an MRI (Magnetic Resonance
in several states.
Imaging) scan do not always account
Schechet also has prescribed small
for the pain a patient is experiencing.
doses of marijuana to about a dozen
Many people whose MRIs show spinal
patients, with favorable results.
irregularities or herniated disks never
"It's not a miracle cure, but it's one
have pain or other symptoms, which
of the tools in our kit," he said.

Pain on page 28