MSK Direct

11/19/2025

Does your health insurance feel more like a discount coupon than a safety net? You're not alone. Families pay record premiums, yet still battle to get the care they need. Let's talk about what insurance really provides...and what's missing.

11/18/2025

Tom felt stuck after a scary diagnosis: too afraid to move, but more afraid to do nothing. He needed a plan, not just surgery. What CAN he still do safely? What makes him a better surgical candidate if he waits? You deserve a doctor who explores all options with you.

11/17/2025

Pay attention when there are staff changes or "rebranding" by your local healthcare systems. Most likely there has been a change to improve someone's bottom line which doesn't always equal better outcomes for patients.

A Harvard study found that ER deaths increase after private equity takes over a hospital.

Read that again.

They buy the hospital.
They cut the staff.
The mortality rate goes up.

This is what happens when health care becomes a spreadsheet instead of a calling.

11/14/2025

Why do most people spend over $1,000 on orthopedic care… before anyone gives them a *clear* diagnosis?

Sounds dramatic, but it’s the reality inside the traditional system.

You bounce between urgent care, P*P visits, imaging, physical therapy, and follow-ups — and somehow, after all that time and money, you're *still* left wondering what’s actually wrong.

👉 **Cost and value are not the same thing.**
👉 Maria spent $2,000 and stayed confused for 6 months.
👉 She could’ve spent the same amount — maybe even a little more — and gotten clarity, a plan, and her life back in 6–8 weeks.

What if the real value of care wasn’t measured in “visits,” but in how quickly your life gets back on track?

That’s what we focus on at MSK Direct:
✅ Clarity.
✅ Continuity.
✅ A path that actually moves you forward.

You deserve a better orthopedic journey.

📞 Call today!

11/13/2025

Why do patients spend thousands on orthopedic care without a diagnosis? It's not just about the money; it's about value. Maria spent $2,000 and still doesn't know what's wrong. What if you could get clarity and your life back in weeks, not months? You deserve a better patient journey.

11/11/2025

Rehabilitation demands time and trust between patient and physician. There's no shortcut. When patients truly trust the treatment, their bodies respond by exploring movement instead of guarding against it. Trust fundamentally changes physiology.

11/07/2025

Tom's surgeon said three little words: "bone on bone." Suddenly, Tom's relationship with his body changed. It wasn't just the arthritis, but the story those words created: collapsing hip, movement causing harm, and a ticking clock.

11/06/2025

When it comes to accuracy, seeing is believing.

In a head-to-head comparison:
🔹 Ultrasound-guided injections missed 17 times out of 373.
🔹 Landmark-guided injections missed 59 times out of 327.

That’s 95% accuracy vs. 82% — and each “miss” represents a real patient who didn’t get the relief they deserved the first time.

There is no need to be guessing in 2025. This is why all of my procedures are guided by ultrasound. Accurate, less pain, and guaranteed delivery medication to the target.
If your treatment plan includes injections, make sure you can see the difference.

👉 Learn more or schedule your appointment at MSKDirectVB.com

11/04/2025

That rearview mirror isn't just showing you traffic—it's revealing how your posture has changed throughout the day. Instead of adjusting the mirror, adjust yourself. A simple pause can prevent postural creep and chronic pain. Try it for a week and see what happens.

11/02/2025

🔥 *When Pain Feels Like Fire, Ice, or Shattered Glass — Even After the Injury Heals*

CRPS — Complex Regional Pain Syndrome — can feel like your body’s pain system has gone rogue.
Some describe it as if a **blowtorch is on their hand or foot**.
Others feel **ice-cold sensations** that never go away.
For some, it’s like **walking on shards of glass** — pain that’s sharp, constant, and completely out of proportion to the original injury.

For years, treatments focused only on masking those signals — medications, injections, even spinal cord stimulators. But none of those actually retrain the system that’s *sending* the wrong messages.

That’s why this is different.
👉 **Dr. Fred Bagares is the first physician in Virginia Beach to offer Magnetic Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (mPNS)** — a breakthrough, non-invasive treatment that helps *reset* how your nerves and brain communicate.

Think of it like a radio stuck on the “pain station.”
mPNS sends gentle magnetic pulses to the affected nerves, helping the brain **re-tune itself back to normal**. Over time, the pain signals quiet — not because they’re blocked, but because the nervous system relearns how to function correctly.

Patients living with **CRPS, post-surgical nerve pain, or chronic hypersensitivity** often notice:
✅ Pain relief that lasts beyond treatment sessions
✅ Less burning, stabbing, or freezing sensations
✅ Improved movement and confidence

It’s not about numbing the pain — it’s about teaching your body to *turn it down*.

If you’ve been told there’s nothing more that can be done, there’s a new path forward.
📍 *Learn more or schedule a clarity visit with Dr. Bagares at MSK Direct Virginia Beach — the first clinic in Virginia offering mPNS for chronic nerve pain.*

10/30/2025

Prior authorization isn't a simple formality; it can lead to burnout. Spending an hour for someone to reiterate your notes is absurd. Expect increased scrutiny and denials, especially with AI. The workaround? Seek options outside insurance.

10/29/2025

**🔥 “Why do my feet feel like they’re on fire?”**
That burning, tingling, electric pain that won’t let you sleep isn’t just “bad circulation.”
It’s often **peripheral neuropathy**—nerve fibers misfiring, sending pain signals even when there’s no injury to fix.

Here’s what most people don’t realize:
🚫 Pills and creams only quiet the noise temporarily.
🧠 The real issue lives in the *nerves themselves*—they’ve become hypersensitive and need retraining, not numbing.

That’s where **Magnetic Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (mPNS)** comes in.
This FDA-cleared treatment uses gentle magnetic pulses to help re-educate damaged nerves—essentially teaching them to stop “shouting fire” when there’s no flame.

Many patients describe it like this:

> “It’s the first time my feet have felt calm in years.”

If your feet feel like they’re burning, buzzing, or asleep when they shouldn’t be—don’t wait for it to “just go away.”
➡️ **Schedule a clarity visit at MSK Direct Virginia Beach** to find out whether nerve retraining therapy could help you walk, sleep, and live comfortably again.