Apollo Pain Center

11/20/2025

🚬 Ni****ne tricks your body into temporary relief, but harms bones, joints, and muscles long-term. This Great American Smokeout, make quitting part of your pain management plan.

Does smoking seem to ease the pain of a bad back? Or an aching joint? Or abdominal discomfort? Think twice before lighting up that cigarette. Any relief you feel will be short-term.

11/17/2025

From cortisone shots to PRP, injection therapies can be game-changers for pain relief. 💉
Learn which one could work for you.

Whether it’s a nagging knee, stiff shoulder, or aching back, pain can hold you back from living fully, but effective relief may be closer than you think. Modern injection therapies offer targeted relief—reducing inflammation, stimulating tissue repair, and restoring movement without major surger...

11/13/2025

❄️ Winter weather can make back pain feel worse, but not all medications work the same. Research shows some treatments may be more effective than others. Learn more from Medical News Today!

Click here to read the healthcare news about”What are the most effective medications for back pain?”.

11/12/2025

7 years of spinal stenosis pain. One 45-minute procedure. Weeks later? Rigoberto is walking freely and living life again! 🙌
Discover how minimally invasive solutions can change everything.

11/06/2025

Advanced techniques in interventional pain management and anesthesiology help patients return to work and a more active, fulfilling life. 💼
Dr. Vinay C. Belamkar, board-certified in interventional pain management, anesthesia, and internal medicine, brings years of experience and compassionate care to every patient.

11/03/2025

I am writing to bring an important issue to your attention and requesting your support by signing a petition supporting this.

As an interventional pain physician, I take care almost all chronic pain patients, improving quality of life by reducing the pain burden. Peripheral nerve interventions are a rapidly developing area allowing us to very effectively treat various painful conditions with minimal systemic adverse effects and procedural risks.

They range from head and face pain, shoulder joint pain, intercostal pain, abdominal wall pain, low back pain (targeting medial branches of the facets or cluneal nerves, knee joints, hip joint, foot and ankle pain and so on. Any localized area of chronic pain whether postoperative or non-operative can be targeted. Many of these patients are not candidates for surgical options or have persistent pain after surgery.

CMS in all their wisdom has decided to publish a coverage determination (LCD) that essentially stops paying for any these interventions except for trigeminal nerves, carpal tunnel and Morton's neuroma! This is very short sighted and will limit our ability to treat pain effectively.

Here is a link to the LCD https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/lcd.aspx?lcdId=40299

Here is a nice summary of the LCD from AAPM https://painmed.org/medicare-releases-proposed-lcd-on-peripheral-nerve-blocks/

The best way to help is by signing a petition against implementing this LCD.

The easiest way to sign and submit this petition is the following from Am Soc of Interventional Pain Physicians:

https://asipp.org/call-to-action-public-comments-on-proposed-lcd-for-peripheral-nerve-blocks-and-procedures-for-chronic-pain/

I am an interventional pain physician on the northside of town. My office Apollo Pain Center is located in the pyramids building. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thank you

UPDATE: For your convenience, we have created a petition for you, your staff, and patients to sign. We will compile the signatures and send the letter to all Medicare Directors. […]

10/30/2025

👀 Shoulders rounding? Back curving? Head leaning forward? These posture changes are common with age — but not unavoidable.
Check out this article from Medical Press to learn more!

As we age, it's common to notice posture changes: shoulders rounding, head leaning forward, back starting to curve. You might associate this with older adults and wonder: will this happen to me? Can I prevent it?

10/28/2025

Thank you for sharing your experience and for being part of the Apollo family! 🌟 Your confidence in our care and team means the world.

10/23/2025

at 71, michael went from living with severe neck pain to “virtually nonexistent” thanks to a pain pump placed by dr. belamkar at apollo pain center. 🏋️ now, michael is back to what he enjoys: going to planet fitness 4–5 times a week and spending time with family. “i’d recommend dr. belamkar to anyone. he works like a champ.”

10/21/2025

💙 Thank you for trusting us with your care these past 8 months, W***y! We’re so grateful for your kind words.

10/16/2025

Not sure what’s causing your spinal pain? 🤔 Medial branch blocks act as both a diagnostic test and a treatment tool, helping you get answers faster.

"What is causing my back pain?" is a question many people face when symptoms persist. Spinal pain can come from many different sources, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact problem. Finding the root cause is often the first step toward lasting relief, but that can be challenging without precise...

10/14/2025

🦴 October is Bone and Joint Health Awareness Month! Osteoporosis can lead to painful spinal compression fractures, but treatments like kyphoplasty can help restore stability and relieve pain. Learn more from the AAOS about recognizing symptoms and treatment options.

Fractures caused by osteoporosis most often occur in the spine. These spinal fractures — called vertebral compression fractures — are almost twice as common as other fractures typically linked to osteoporosis, such as broken hips and wrists.