Welcome to the Warren Pain Clinic and Acupuncture Center


Address

103 St. Clair St., Warren, PA 16365

Contact Number

(814) 726-7365

What is Pain Medicine?

The practice of Pain Medicine is multi-disciplinary in approach, incorporating modalities from various specialties to ensure the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of the pain patient. Pain serves as an alert to potential or actual damage to the body. The definition for damage is quite broad; pain can arise from injury as well as disease. After the message is received and interpreted, further pain can be counter-productive. Pain can have a negative impact on a person's quality of life and impede recovery from illness or injury. Unrelieved pain can become a syndrome in its own right and cause a downward spiral in a person's health and outlook. Managing pain properly facilitates recovery, prevents additional health complications, and improves an individual's quality of life.  

Meet Dr. Kourtu

Mohamed A. Kourtu, M.D., DABPM, DABA has established a highly competent pain management service meeting the criteria and guidelines put forth by ISIS (International Spine Intervention Society), ASIPP (American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians), and NASS (North American Spine Society).   Dr. Kourtu has achieved professional competency outlined by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and maintained the required training for these affiliations. When Dr. Kourtu came to Warren County, his objective was to bring a “state of the art” pain management service to the area. Since 2000, Dr. Kourtu has concentrated his efforts and investments on providing patients in the area with the most effective pain management techniques available.

Why do I need a Pain Management Specialist?

Pain management is a medical specialty that focuses on treating conditions or injuries that cause pain and limit function. One of the unique advantages of pain management is that it involves spectrum of care- everything from initial diagnosis to personalized treatment to improve your health and quality of life. With Dr. Kourtu’s treatment approach and innovative interventional and minimally invasive techniques he is qualified to address the wide range of conditions that cause pain.  

Pain management treatments available at The Warren Pain Clinic and Acupuncture Center include:

1. Pharmacological: Pain-relieving drugs, otherwise called analgesics, include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, narcotics, antidepressants, anti-convulsants, and others. Pain relieving drugs are used in conjunction with other treatments and are NOT a long-term solution for pain management.

2. Invasive or Surgical: There are three types of invasive procedures that may be used to manage or treat pain: anatomic, augmentative, and ablative. These procedures involve surgery, and certain guidelines will be followed before carrying out a procedure with permanent effects. First, the cause of the pain must be clearly identified. Next, surgery should be done only if noninvasive procedures are ineffective. Third, any psychological issues will be addressed. Finally, there will be a reasonable expectation of success.

3. Acupuncture: is one of the main forms of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very specific points. This process is believed to adjust and alter the body's energy flow into healthier patterns, and is used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions, including pain management.


Types of pain that are treated by Dr. Kourtu:  


  • Low back pain
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Vertebral compression fractures
  • Cervical and lumbar facet joint disease
  • Sciatica/Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)
  • Sacroiliac joint disease
  • Failed back surgery pain/ Post-Laminectomy Neuropathic Pain
  • Neuropathic (Nerve) pain
  • Intercostal neuralgia (Rib pain)
  • Peripheral neuropathy (Diabetic nerve pain)
  • Complex regional pain syndrome (Reflex Sympathetic Dystorphy, RSD)
  • Herniated disc and degenerative disc disease (discogenic pain)
  • Myofascial (Muscular) Pain
  • Nerve entrapment Syndromes
  • Post-herpatic neuralgia (Shingle pain)

    • How do I get an appointment?

    Typically, a referral is needed from your primary care physician (family doctor). Prior to beginning management, pain is thoroughly evaluated. Pain scales or questionnaires are used to attach an objective measure to a subjective experience. Objective measurements allow Dr. Kourtu to obtain a better understanding of the pain being experienced by the patient. Evaluation also includes physical examinations and diagnostic tests to determine underlying causes. Some evaluations require assessments from several viewpoints, including neurology, psychiatry and psychology, and physical therapy. If pain is due to a medical procedure, management consists of anticipating the type and intensity of associated pain and managing it preemptively.

    For more information, please call (814) 726-7365 or email warrenpainclinic@verizon.net.

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