Make Pain a Thing of the Past – Dr. James St. Louis – Physician Partners of America

Tag Archive for: Dr. James St. Louis

Dr. James St. Louis performs the first endoscopic SCS paddle lead implantation

Dr. James St. Louis, director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Division at Physician Partners of America, has helped thousands of patients regain more fulfilling lives through minimally invasive spine procedures.

He recently added a new technique to his practice: implanting an HF10 spinal cord stimulator (SCS) with a paddle lead endoscopically. With a tiny incision and just a few sutures, he enables qualified patients to take control of intractable pain where other techniques have failed.

Implanting a spinal cord stimulator, especially with paddle leads, typically requires a large, open incision and a laminectomy. Dr. St. Louis’s expertise with minimally invasive endoscopic techniques allows him to implant the device with an incision that needs few stitches to close.

Spinal cord stimulators distract the brain from the pain signals it receives from the spine or extremities. Dr. St. Louis surgically attaches these small electronic devices to the spine. Wire-like leads from the device are carefully positioned along the spinal cord. The stimulator then sends mild electrical currents through the lead to stimulate the spinal cord nerve fibers. These currents blunt pain signals before the brain can register them as painful sensations.

The high frequency stimulation and design make the HF10 unique. The shape and texture of the stimulator makes it a better fit for the spinal cord, reducing any chance of migration. This product also provides an adjustable range of pulses to better relieve the patient’s pain.

 

SCS HF10

 

Benefits of the high frequency HF10 SCS include:

  • FDA- approved
  • Clinically proven to provide superior relief of back and leg pain
  • High frequency and adjustable
  • Superior coverage on spine
  • Less chance of migration throughout the back
  • Minimally invasive
  • User-friendly
  • Only requires outpatient care

This product is beneficial to patients who have identified the medical cause of their pain, tried previous pain reduction interventions without success, and are not good candidates for other procedures. Based on the needs of the patient, Dr. St. Louis will choose a product that will perfectly suit an individual’s condition.

“I am excited to continue to use the HF10 spinal cord stimulator to help bring pain relief to our patients.” – Dr. James St. Louis

To learn more about our surgeon and the HF10 device, visit Dr. James St Louis’ bio or HF10.com. To find out if you may be a candidate, please call 800-400-7762.

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Your Cell Phone Could be the Cause of your Neck and Back Pain

If you own a phone- which is more than likely the case considering 96% of Americans do, you might be at risk for a condition informally called “Text Neck.”

 

Text neck refers to the result of angling your head down or hunching over for a period of time. Although this condition is more prevalent now, it is not necessarily a new thing. The term Text Neck is due to the amount of mobile devices within our culture that heavily contribute to the condition. However, sewing, drawing, and many more activities can contribute to this as well.

How does our head movement have an impact on our neck and back health you might ask? A human head weighs about 10 pounds. When your head is in a neutral position, there is not much pressure on your spine. However, the more your neck is bent forward, the more strain and pressure is put your cervical spine.

“The mechanics of the cervical and lumbar spine are not conducive to the way people hold cell phones,” says Dr. James St Louis with Physician Partners of America’s Tampa- Habana location, “they can eventually cause mechanical problems since people spend so much time on their phones.”

This pressure on your spine can not only lead to an achy back and neck, but has also been linked to headaches, neurological issues, depression, and heart disease. In more serious cases, Text Neck can lead to herniated disks, pinched nerves, and eventually improper curvature of the spine.

The most common symptom of Text Neck is neck soreness. However, looking down at your phone could potentially also lead to the following:

  • Shoulder pain and tightness
  • Pinched cervical nerve eventually leading to cervical radiculopathy.
  • Upper back pain including muscle spasms, sharp pain, and chronic pain.
  • Early onset arthritis of the neck

So what can you do to minimize the future pain your cell phone might be causing you?

  • Move your muscles! Reset your upper back and neck muscles but rolling your shoulders and tilting your head. It will provide your muscles and spine a much needed break. Click here for some at-home stretches.
  • Hold your device at eye level. Holding your device higher helps your neck to not bend as much, therefore, reducing strain on your cervical spine.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, contact Physician Partners of America today and schedule a same day appointment.

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Dr. James St. Louis Talks Spine Pain Solutions on WFTS-TV Morning Show

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Physician Partners of America is a national healthcare company based in Tampa. It offers comprehensive medical care for every condition that can cause pain. It operates 11 interventional pain management clinics in Florida including 5 in the bay area.

 

Our laser-assisted minimally invasive spine surgeon, James St. Louis, D.O., recently enlightened viewers on treating neck and back pain on the “Morning Blend” talk show on WFTS-TV – Tampa. Watch the interview and see how bigger is not better when it comes to surgical treatment of chronic pain.

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Dr. James St. Louis, surgical founder of Laser Spine Institute, joins Physician Partners of America

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Physician Partners of America (PPOA) is proud to announce James S. St. Louis, D.O., a world-renowned minimally invasive spine surgeon, will join the company on Jan. 2, 2018 at two Tampa locations.

Dr. St. Louis is board certified in Orthopedic Surgery by the American Board of Physician Specialists, and is the surgical founder of Laser Spine Institute in Tampa.

His partnership with PPOA represents the company’s new venture into minimally invasive spine surgery as an offshoot of its core practice, interventional pain management.

“Dr. St. Louis’s drive to combine a patient-centric atmosphere with world-class medical care has been a hallmark of his career and meshes perfectly with Physician Partners’ approach to pain management,” said Tracie Lawson, President and COO of PPOA.

“It is important for the patient to feel as though they are part of the team in the decision-making process,” added Dr. St. Louis. “As a surgeon and physician it is important to listen closely to the patient and completely understand their reason for their appointment. Once you have a complete history then you evaluate the appropriate studies with the patient. When these steps are completed you can then provide the best surgical care for that patient.”

He will see patients Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the PPOA Orthopedic Suite at 4728 N. Habana Ave., #202; and on Thursdays in its location at 3450 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite #350.  Same-day appointments are available.

After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, he earned his medical degree from the University of Health Sciences Osteopathic Medical School in Kansas City, Mo.

After joining the United States Army, he completed a rotating internship at Eisenhower Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga., and completed orthopedic residencies at Fort Louis, Wash., and at Kennedy Medical Center in Cherry Hill, N.J.

He earned a Meritorious Service Award and Commendation Medal from the Army in 1994. He was appointed by former Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine, serving from 2008-2012.

Dr. St. Louis has served in many leadership positions including director of Cardiac Rehabilitation/Exercise Physiology at Brooke Army Medical Center, director of Cardiac Rehabilitation/director of Cardiac Therapeutics in San Antonio, Texas, chief of surgery at Woodland Medical Center, Ala., and medical director of HealthSouth in Pensacola, Fla. He also worked in private practice before founding Laser Spine Institute.

Dr. St. Louis is a member of many medical organizations including the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Medical Association and American Association of Physician Specialists.

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