UF Health Pain Medicine specialists are ready to provide services that meet the needs and preferences of all patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they would like to be seen for an in-person visit following CDC guidelines or via telehealth.
Our specialists use teams of experts to diagnose and treat acute or chronic pain complaints (back and neck pain, leg or arm pain, headaches, and many more) as well as more complex pain conditions such as neuropathy/nerve pain, complex regional pain syndrome, post-laminectomy syndrome, lumbar spinal stenosis, disc herniation, vertebral compression fracture, and chronic pain that persists despite previous treatment. We specialize in non-opioid pain interventions that provide long-lasting relief for a wide variety of conditions. Interventions that we use in a patient-tailored approach include injection therapy (epidural steroid injection), spinal endoscopy/decompression, minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD® and Vertiflex®), spinal cord stimulation (spinal cord stimulator and dorsal root ganglion stimulator), kyphoplasty, and nerve ablation (rhizotomy).
Staff at the UF pain medicine clinics at Ayers and Springhill have taken numerous steps to ensure the safety of all patients and continue to be fully operational for in-person appointments and procedures.
The clinics are fully following federal guidelines to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Precautions in place include:
- A mask or face covering is required of everyone who enters a UF Health facility, which includes all faculty, staff, students, visitors, vendors, and outpatients, with few exceptions for the very young or ill. Masks will be offered to those who do not have them.
- UF Health has taken the responsible step of temporarily limiting visitors to all hospitals, outpatient surgical centers, and emergency rooms to reduce the risk of infection.
- All visitors are being screened for signs and symptoms of illness.
- Constant, thorough cleaning is being performed throughout our facilities.
- Providers are wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, including N95 masks, when treating COVID-19-positive patients.
Patients can also be seen from the comfort of their own homes by using a computer or mobile device for a secure phone call or video conference. This option has been made available to all patients and may be recommended for high-risk or elderly patients. It is also a way for patients who do not live locally to continue to receive treatment without the stress of traveling.
During telehealth appointments, physicians can answer patient concerns and questions, perform a guided and focused examination, and even measure certain vital signs. Physicians can also provide patients with alternatives for managing their conditions in the event their procedure was canceled due to COVID-19.
For more information about how UF Health Pain Medicine can serve you, call 352-265-7777 for an appointment or visit https://anest.ufl.edu/clinical-divisions/pain-medicine/.