integrative pain management

Dr. Abbas has trained extensively in integrative and alternative pain management options. See individual services below. 

Dr. Abbas completed an extra year of medical school as a  Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM) or Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT). This safe, holistic, hands-on approach is tailored to your individual body and pain concerns. 

She is considered an expert in OMT, having treated thousands of patients since 2010. She has also lead multiple workshops on OMM techniques at various medical conferences. Treatment styles & frequency are determined on a case-by-case basis. 

A sub-type of osteopathic medicine, the FDM is a quick, patient-centered & incredibly effective treatment style targeting fascia. Having trained in the FDM since 2011, Dr. Abbas is currently pursuing becoming a certified FDM instructor. 

Many common injuries and pain can be treated using the FDM including ankle sprains, headaches, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff injuries, pulled muscles, and tennis elbow among others. See the article below for an example of one of many patients Dr. Abbas has helped using the Fascial Distortion Model treatment. 

Some pain concerns don't respond to hands-on treatment alone. Trigger point injections are a great adjunct for many pain syndromes including chronically tight muscles, headaches, migraines, sciatica, and others. This treatment involves numbing medicine (with or without steroids) with a small needle to target specific muscles that generate pain. 

Dr. Abbas trained through the Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation (HHPF) in 2017, one of the most respected & recognized organizations in the country for training prolotherapists. She has since participated in two service learning trips to Honduras with HHPF where she treated hundreds of patients with pain concerns in many locations including knees, ankles, feet, low back, shoulders, and more. 

According to HHPF: "Prolotherapy is a nonsurgical, non-opioid treatment that stimulates the body’s natural healing response to repair injured, painful joints, ligaments and tendons. Affected areas are injected with a solution that initiates growth of healthy tissue to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore function. Prolotherapy has been practiced in the United States since the 1930’s, is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence, and has been endorsed by numerous medical societies and health experts including former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. This regenerative medicine therapy is effective in the treatment of chronic pain for musculoskeletal injuries, arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, and joint instability." 

Did you know that what you eat (or don't eat!) can significantly affect your pain? Dr. Abbas promotes an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, aiming to reduce any triggers that could worsen your pain. Through education & handouts, you'll feel empowered knowing how to better help your body heal itself. Depending on the root cause of your pain, certain vitamins and/or supplements may also be useful. Dr. Abbas may recommend these as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for your pain. 

Although not considered a long-term management option, Dr. Abbas recognizes that some patients with certain conditions may benefit from the immediate relief a steroid injection into a joint can provide. Given her extensive practice & training in prolotherapy, which includes joint injections, Dr. Abbas is able to offer this adjunct service to patients when indicated.