Arizona Pain was founded based on the principle that everybody experiencing chronic pain deserves the best possible treatment.

Comprehensive pain care is incredibly complex because of the multi-faceted nature of pain. 2 people experiencing the same type of pain may have separate causes for that pain. Because of the complexity of chronic pain, many doctors avoid digging deep to uncover the root cause, instead prescribing potentially dangerous drugs to patients.

Working to identify the causes of patients’ pain takes time, which is in short supply for many doctors. Arizona Pain doctors, on the other hand, focus on helping patients figure out exactly what’s ailing them and then devise customized treatment plans. Our doctors take this role seriously and are involved in some of the most advanced research dedicated to improving the lives of people experiencing all types of pain.

Treatments such as nerve blocks, which stop pain signals at the source, and joint injections, which help painful, inflamed joints regain optimal lubrication and movement, have helped thousands of patients reduce their pain and regain their joy of living. Painkillers meanwhile, change how the brain processes pain but do nothing to alleviate the cause.

Arizona Pain exists to give chronic pain patients hope.

Our doctors educate patients about alternative methods of pain care that complement our highly effective and cutting-edge treatments. We also advocate lifestyle changes including stress reduction and improved nutrition, which can vastly improve patients’ quality of life and reduce overall levels of pain. The lifestyle component is critical, but is another area frequently neglected by doctors because of the time it takes to educate patients.

Arizona Pain works on an interdisciplinary approach, which means that all of the medical professionals—from pain doctors to chiropractors—working on your case communicate and collaborate to achieve the best treatment outcome. This collaboration ensures multiple medical minds are working on your behalf. It also significantly reduces the likelihood of gaps or redundancies in care.

Family member’s battle with cancer pain inspired founding of Arizona pain practice.

Chronic pain is an area close to Arizona Pain’ founders Dr. Paul Lynch and Dr. Tory McJunkin. The 2 doctors met while undergrads in college. Later, while they were attending medical school at the University of Oklahoma, Paul’s mother-in-law developed pancreatic cancer. While she fought the illness and the incredible pain it caused her, Paul worked desperately to figure out a way to help her.

Along the way, he learned about interventional pain procedures—a journey that would change his life. He grew increasingly passionate about the methods he learned to appease the pain of those suffering. 1 day, he realized this path was his life’s calling. Excited, he drove to Tory’s house and told him of his plans.

Paul’s enthusiasm ignited a similar passion in Tory, and they each decided to continue their studies in the practice of interventional pain at the University of Iowa and New York University, respectively.

Arizona Pain now has 7 metropolitan Phoenix locations, with medical professionals specializing in:

• Chiropractic care
• Biofeedback training
• Relaxation therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Acupuncture

The inclusion of these alternative therapies is another factor separating Arizona Pain from other practices. Many traditional doctors don’t work with these types of medicine, let alone offer them under the same roof, and so patients aren’t able to experience their benefits.

After all these years, Arizona Pain’ governing principle remains the same: “Is this the treatment we would want for our Mom or Dad if they were in pain?”

Arizona Pain provides access to the most advanced medical procedures and comprehensive care.

With 7 locations across the Valley, Arizona Pain provides easy access to residents throughout the Phoenix metro area. The practice’s flagship location is in Scottsdale, while other offices are located in Glendale, Surprise, Chandler, Gilbert, North Phoenix, and downtown Phoenix.

To further the doctors’ commitment to improving the lives of people experiencing chronic pain, the office hosts a free support group every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Scottsdale office. The session lasts for 90 minutes and offers people the opportunity to connect with others who know how it feels to live with chronic pain.

Many participants make lasting connections, talking to 1 another during the week, which they find improves their quality of life.

PainDoctor.com, a national website that is affiliated with Arizona Pain,  also facilitates an online Facebook support group, with more than 30,000 members. People are welcome to join, share their stories, inspire and support fellow members.

From creating community for chronic pain patients to expanding the availability of cutting-edge treatments, Arizona Pain is dedicated to serving each person who walks through its doors with the best medicine.

Have you ever thought about treating pain holistically with a team-based approach?

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
~ Proverbs 17:22

It’s 2013, the start of a new year, and we’ve got a big book ahead of you. This issue our focus is on opioids, and we want to set a few things straight before we get into it.

First, opioids have their uses, and there are reasons why doctors prescribe them for short-term use. These medications are effective for handling pain and pain relief, and sometimes are the best route to take when treating a particular problem. When prescribed and taken correctly, opioids can be a very good form of treatment for the person taking them.

The problem often comes when one of those two things runs off course. If prescribed incorrectly, opioids can cause damage to the person who takes them. There’s the cycle of addiction to deal with, as well as the potential overdosage of meds, resulting in further harm to the body or even death. For example, constipation is a real issue for those who use opioids, so much so that it can become a real medical problem (something our editor in chief has personal experience with, as documented in this issue).

All that said, there is a reason why doctors prescribe opioids — they’re effective for treating pain. Our outlook on the problem is different, however. Instead of throwing pain meds at our patients as an easy fix to the problem or pain relief, we want to truly diagnose what the issue is, why it’s happening and what we can do to solve it. The difference goes back to that old adage about teaching a man to fish. We could just give you the fish and send you on your way — it’s an easy way to go, and it can be effective. But if we teach you how to fish by essentially finding and solving the issue, then we’re going to fix instead of bandage the problem.

That said, we do still prescribe opioids. We can’t stress enough that this is an effective method of treatment, and it can get the job done — but we prescribe lower dosages than most. One of our patients that is prescribed an opioid receives on average 60mg per day, and that’s because research has shown that it’s a safer dosage. It also means less risks for our patients, and that’s the best route to go.

Point is, we don’t think we should be cavalier with our dosing, or by giving out prescriptions just as a way to placate our patients and move on to the next. We treat our patients like we’d treat our own mothers, and that means that opioids are not always the answer to an effective treatment. They can be part of the solution, but often they’re not the solution.

From our families to yours,

Dr. Tory McJunkin and Dr. Paul Lynch

Founders of Arizona Pain

Inspired by a close family member’s personal battle with severe debilitating pain, our founding physicians are idealistic about practicing pain medicine “the right way.”

When Dr. Tory McJunkin and Dr. Paul Lynch founded Arizona Pain, it was the realization of a dream decades in the making. The thriving medical practice, with more than 160 employees and helping more than 7,000 patients monthly, has blossomed from the seed of a college friendship.

Their freshman year of college, the pre-med students had many of the same classes. While intense competition is the landscape in such an environment, Paul and Tory decided cooperation was a better plan. They studied together during the week and prayed together on the weekends. Their plan and mutual passion for medicine worked.

Four years later, they were off to the university of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Life took an unexpected turn, when Paul’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He spent weeks trying to find relief for her debilitating pain, and during the process learned about interventional pain procedures. before medical school graduation, he realized that this was his calling in life and immediately drove to Tory’s house. Tory heard the excitement in his friend’s voice.

I know what I’m going to do with my life! Paul said.

Tory listened with growing interest and firmly said, “Me too.”

Paul laughed in disbelief saying “Seriously, I’m going to become an anesthesiologist and then study pain management. This is what I’m supposed to do, I just know it.”

Tory stepped closer and with a tone that was unmistakably serious said “I know, and this is the specialty I was made to practice too, I just didn’t know it existed. I’m alsogoing to pursue this career, whatever it takes!”

That’s exactly what they did. They obtained positions in top-tier programs – university of Iowa and New york university, and then each secured a position at the most coveted interventional pain program. years later, with prayer and their passion to help others suffering from pain at the forefront of their motivation, the pair created Arizona Pain.

Today, the practice includes offices in Chandler, Glendale and Scottsdale with a handful of similarly minded, passionate physicians, chiropractors, therapists, and health care providers.