Dr. Gary L Craig M.D.
Doctor
105 W 8th Ave Suite 6080 Spokane WA, 99204Rating
4/5
About
Dr. Gary L Craig M.D. is a top Doctor in Spokane, WA. With a passion for the field and an unwavering commitment to their specialty, Dr. Gary L Craig M.D. is an expert in changing the lives of their patients for the better. Through their designated cause and expertise in the field, Dr. Gary L Craig M.D. is a prime example of a true leader in health care. As a leader and expert in their field, Dr. Gary L Craig M.D. is passionate about enhancing patient quality of life. They embody the values of communication, safety, and trust when dealing directly with patients. In Spokane, WA, Dr. Gary L Craig M.D. is a true asset to their field and dedicated to the profession of medicine.
Education and Training
McMaster University / Faculty of Health Sciences 1976
McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine 1976
Provider Details
Dr. Gary L Craig M.D.'s Expert Contributions
Doctor permission?
This question is way more complicated than it looks. The answer below assumes that the cause for the pain is not entirely "fixable"-this obviously needs to be assessed before use of more potent pain approaches. In general, the easy part is trying regular use of acetaminophen and anti-inflammatories (ASA, ibuprofen, naproxen and others)-most of which are available over the counter-pain meds beyond these levels require prescriptions, necessitating a discussion with your physician unless you want to buy them on the street (and given the recent spate of lethal doses of fentanyl cut into street narcotics this is a really lousy idea). Other options commonly tired are alcohol-not great for pain but lots knocks you out (and has lots of social consequences) and cannabinoids, with possibly more pain control but also complicated with mind altering issues (try passing a field sobriety test when you are stopped by a cop for debatable driving). No great pain control trials with THC or CBD to support long term use anyways (despite widespread public use for pain). Beyond these easier steps, most more potent pain meds are narcotics- these are great for intense short term pain but have 2 issues that make them poor for long term use. First, they tend to lose benefit over time-requiring increasingly high doses for the same benefit-and second, they are addictive). Great for short term post op pain but terrible for long term use. The higher doses eventually used over long durations kill huge numbers of Americans annually. Their use was encouraged by federal agencies decades ago but now increasingly strict controls are being levied by federal and state agencies and individual physicians' prescribing of these meds are carefully tracked. MDs are appropriately increasingly wary of prescribing more than tiny amounts of this med class unless patients have a painful terminal illness. 2 other important issues affect pain severity-exercise levels and sleep. Numerous trials have shown that that cardiovascular fitness programs-typically something easy like walking 30-40 minutes 3 times weekly- substantially lowers chronic pain and improving sleep time/quality does as well (ie-avoid caffeine and other stimulants, no alcohol/late evening food, sleep supporting night environment, targeting 6-8 hours etc). Sometimes sleep patterns can be helped by low dose antidepressant use; if depression is thought to be contributing to pain severity more full dose antidepressants can be considered. As well, occasionally meds that interfere with pain pathways like gabapentin can help though these often lose benefit over time. Changing exercise patterns and sleep habits take significant patient input-not popping pills easily like most of us would like to do-so this info is poorly received by patients. Cognitive behavioral therapy-typically not cheap and not covered by health plans (but cheaper than wrecking your life with narcotic use), and thought of as rather "voodoo-like by many patients, has also been shown to reduce chronic pain levels and improve function. Perfect pain control in situations of chronic pain where a definitive "curative" therapy is not available is rare so improvement to a level that a patient can function is really the goal of intervention here, a target not often appreciated by patients who often expect a pill to solve the pain issues completely. READ MORE
High BUN/Creatinine Ratio?
This is a minor lab abnormality and may not be reported to you as abnormal by your physician. Most typically seen if a person is a bit "dry" from inadequate fluid intake or use of diuretics (which may be an isolated med or part of a combination antihypertensive prescription). May even be seen if the lab draw was early in the AM after a long night's sleep and no breakfast. Totally reversible with adequate fluid intake. Incidentally, the creatinine is pretty low (reflecting overall good kidney function) for someone in their 40s. READ MORE
Doctors name tag?
Highly individual and not predictable; may often just read MD or DO. Occasionally you will see other initials which might indicate specialty college membership/fellowship which can give a hint of specialty-eg FACOG for obs/gyn; FACP for an internist, FACC for cardiologist-but most practices/institutions don't add these. In internal medicine, most subspecialists have to qualify as internal medicine specialists then go to subspecialty training. READ MORE
Paratoid swelling?
?Addendum-some patients also have a positive Rheumatoid factor and many have high antibody levels(elevated gammaglobulins). READ MORE
Swollen lymph node on right side of the throat?
Nodes that come and go and are tender are generally benign. The orzo pharynx is heavily supplied with lymphatic tissue, presumably to identify and react to the large host of pathogens that enter us through the nose and mouth, and nodes will normally enlarge when dealing with challenges. Lymphomas, the most common cancers to involve neck nodes, usually are not tender and consistently get bigger (rather than wax/wane in size). Nodes that are over 1 cm, and/or are very hard or bound down need biopsy. The level of concern is also higher in smokers given their substantially higher risk of ENT malignancies that can spread to neck nodes. READ MORE
Expert Publications
Data provided by the National Library of Medicine- Control' of reflexive and voluntary saccades in the gap effect.
- Head roll compensation in a visually coupled HMD: considerations for helicopter operations.
- Reaction time measures of feature saliency in schematic faces.
- Treatment Persistence and Clinical Outcomes of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Cycling or Switching to a New Mechanism of Action Therapy: Real-world Observational Study of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in the United States with Prior Tumor Necrosis F
- Home monitoring of epilepsy.
- Gold induced thrombocytopenia: 12 cases and a review of the literature.
- A sporulating strain of Bacillus popiliae.
- Antirheumatic drugs: clinical pharmacology and therapeutic use.
- Intermittent cyclic therapy with etidronate in the prevention of corticosteroid induced bone loss.
- Intermittent cyclic therapy with etidronate prevents corticosteroid-induced bone loss: two years of follow-up.
- Evidence for selective target processing with a low perceptual load flankers task.
- Salmon calcitonin nasal spray in the prevention of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis.
Treatments
- Psoriasis
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Immunodeficiency
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Degenerative Disc Disease (ddd)
Dr. Gary L Craig M.D.'s Practice location
Practice At 105 W 8th Ave Suite 6080
105 W 8th Ave Suite 6080 -Spokane, WA 99204Get Direction
Dr. Gary L Craig M.D.'s reviews
Write ReviewPatient Experience with Dr. Craig
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Nearest Hospitals
PROVIDENCE SACRED HEART MEDICAL CENTERl
101 WEST 8TH AVENUE SPOKANE WA 99204DEACONESS HOSPITALl
W 800 FIFTH AVENUE SPOKANE WA 99210SHRINERS HOSPITAL FOR CHILDRENl
911 WEST 5TH AVENUE SPOKANE WA 99204