EXPERT
Nichelle Renk, M.D.
Pain Management Specialist
- Anchorage, AK
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Accepting new patients
How Botox® Works to Relieve Migraine Pain
Chronic migraines leave you struggling to cope with symptoms of pain and sensory sensitivity. as well as juggling your life around the disruption posed by your many headache days....
Do I Still Need Supplements If I Eat A Healthy Diet?
Good nutrition is far more complicated than just eating low-fat or low-calorie foods to maintain a healthy weight. Your body also relies on the many essential vitamins and nutrients...
Posture Exercises to Prevent Neck Pain
Adults in the United States often deal with neck pain. Whether it’s because of bad posture habits, spinal stress from work or commuting, or a lack of stretching, you may be putting...
How Effective is Spinal Cord Stimulation?
Persistent chronic pain involves abnormal pain signals transmitting through your spinal cord to register as sensations in your brain. For some types of chronic pain, effective...
Why Are Autoimmune Disorders Becoming So Common?
Lupus, thyroid disease, and rheumatoid arthritis are among dozens of known autoimmune diseases. This group of diseases involves your immune system attacking your body’s own healthy...
3 Indications for Stellate Ganglion Blocks: CRPS, PTSD, and Long-Haul COVID
Long-term conditions like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and long-haul COVID-19 can be difficult to treat. Symptoms of pain, fatigue,...
3 Lifestyle Changes to Slow Osteoarthritis Progression
Receiving a diagnosis for osteoarthritis (OA) means you’re at risk for progressive degeneration of your joints. OA can be painful and limiting to live with. How should you handle...
Little-Known Causes of Back Pain
Does low or mid back pain keep you up at night, or keep you from getting or staying active the way you’d like? You’re not alone: Back pain affects nearly all adults at some point....
Myths and Facts About Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Nonexperts often misunderstand diseases like hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Harmful myths about what it’s like to have this connective tissue disorder can lead to adverse...
Chronic Pain: Can Radiofrequency Ablation Help?
Chronic pain seems to echo around your body, felt everywhere and nowhere, without a clear physical cause like an injury to explain your pain symptoms. As a way to give lasting...
5 Benefits of Using Botox to Treat Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia, a movement disorder that causes you to develop involuntary muscle spasms in your neck, can be uncomfortable and limiting. Did you know that the Food and Drug...
Diabetic Neuropathy Risks and Treatment Options
In people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, long-term cases of high blood sugar levels create health and wellness risks. Among the potential complications of diabetes, peripheral...
COOLIEF® Radiofrequency Ablation: What to Expect
When you suffer from chronic pain, you need effective treatments to relieve pain and maintain full mobility and quality of life. Cooled radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment...
Ketamine for Severe Depression: What to Expect
The symptoms of severe depression, ranging from persistent sadness to sleeplessness and including constant feelings of exhaustion or loss of interest in hobbies and personal goals,...
I'm Ready to Start a Journey to Wellness: Where Do I Begin?
As a new year starts, many people’s minds turn to assessing health and wellness. Are you healthy? Are you operating at optimum wellness? And, looking ahead, are you setting...
Cooled RFA for Shoulder and Knee Compared With Steroid Injections
Chronic shoulder or knee pain due to conditions like osteoarthritis reduces your mobility and limits your quality of life. Innovative interventional pain management treatments...
Why Ketamine Might Be the Right Treatment for Your Migraines
Chronic migraine headaches disrupt your daily life. Whether your migraines come with or without a pre-headache “aura,” headache days mean sensitivity to sensory stimuli, including...
4 Reasons to Include Supplements in Your Diet
You do your best to eat right and give your body the nutritional support it needs, but it can be challenging to get sufficient levels of essential vitamins, minerals, and other...
Treating Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome with Lifestyle Modifications
It has become increasingly clear that people living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) need specialized care, treatment, and lifestyle modifications. That’s why interventional...
What is Triggering Your Migraines?
The Migraine Research Foundation notes that around 12% of all adults in the United States deal with migraines. Migraines are more common in women than in men but can affect patients...
What is the best way to treat muscular pains after running?
This could be shin splints or stress reaction/fractures. I recommend good running shoes and avoiding hard surfaces while running. A physical therapist or orthotic expert may be able to analyze your running gait and give you more tips.
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
Can pain relieving drugs become addictive?
Pain relieving medications can become habit forming but most are not "addictive" per se. The classes which are more at risk for being habit forming or addictive are the opioids and benzodiazepines.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
How does alternative hot and cold packs help in relieving pain?
I typically recommend heat only for chronic muscular tension and pain. Heat, magnesium in oral, liquid or epsom salt baths can reduce muscular pain and tension.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
Abdominal pain
I am concerned about serious illnesses like appendicitis or some other GI disturbance. Please go to the ER or see your primary care doctor about this problem. For your low back, the pain may be referred from your abdomen or be another structure such as your lumbar facet joints or sacroiliac joint.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, MD
My husband has frequent headaches due to work stress. What should we do?
Stress is a common problem and contributor to pain and mood. I recommend your husband takes "me-time" daily in which he meditates and deep breathes. There are now a lot of smartphone applications that can assist with this process. Set a goal of once in AM and once in PM (perhaps when he gets home). Other ideas for this problem include seeing a pain psychologist, reading the book "Managing Pain before it Manages You" and epsom salt baths with lavender.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C Renk, MD
I have a lot of body pain especially at night. What can I do to treat it naturally?
Work on gentle strengthening through yoga, pilates, or weight machines and posture. Also, consider alternate ways of working, say seated for instance.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C Renk, MD
Are steroids often recommended for pain?
I prefer to avoid steroids for back pain as much as possible. There are times it is indicated and could be helpful. Some examples would be a lumbar radiculitis/radiculopathy which is a disc herniation causing nerve impingment and sacroilitis or inflammation of the sacroiliac joint.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
Fibromyalgia
I recommend daily aerobic exercise such as walking or swimming for fibromyalgia. I also prescribe low dose naltrexone as well as other medications such as lyrica and cymbalta for this problem.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C Renk, MD
What is this muscle strain?
Could frequent headaches indicate something serious?
Are pain relieving balms safe for kids?
How does Epsom salt help in relieving heel pain?
My husband is having pain in his abdominal area due to kidney stones. Can you recommend some medication for him?
Is there a safe medication to manage my pain before starting my menstrual period?
I am experiencing pain in my facial muscles. What should I do?
You may have masseter tension due to stress, grinding, or TMJ dysfunction. A nightly mouth guard, magnesium at night, meditation/de-stressing, and a muscle relaxant can be helpful if this is the case. In some instances, botox is used to relax the masseters.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
I have a sprain in my neck and I think it's from my pillows. How can I fix this?
Absolutely. A lot of times, pain such as the one you are describing is due to muscle tension, and heat is an excellent muscle relaxant. I also like chelated magnesium glycinate at night and Epsom salt baths for this problem as well.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
I have severe back pain during my periods. Please help.
This is common. It is the referral pattern of the uterus to the back. ou may have a retroverted uterus. NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol, and heat are helpful for this problem. Also, consider seeing your gynecologist for workup of possible PMDD.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
My core is feeling sore and painful after a weight work out. What should I do?
I am concerned you may have rhabdomylolysis. I recommend seeing your primary care doctor and asking for a creatine kinase.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
I have a lot of body pain by the end of the day, mainly due to my weight. What should I do?
Have you tried working out in the morning or at lunch? Try walking and swimming to start and work your way up to more vigorous exercise. I recommend the Paleo diet and Ketogenic diet for weight loss.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
My fingers hurt after playing tennis. Is this normal?
This could be a tendon or a nerve problem. For instance, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or an ulnar neuropathy, you can have severe pain after using your hands/arms. See your primary care doctor or pain doctor for an evaluation.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
