News Center 25 — Community Crossroads welcomes Victoria Pain and Rehabilitation Center. 

Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center On The News

For Victoria Pain and Rehab winning the best medical clinic comes down to providing the best care they can for their patients as a team. Victoria Pain &amp; Rehab has won best medical clinic after previously winning best physical therapy twice.

Voted Best Medical Clinic in 2022 by Victoria Advocate

Watch Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin on the local news (Great Day Houston) with Deborah Duncan. Victoria &amp; Brazos Pain Management provides safe and long-term alternatives to manage chronic pain and help patients improve their quality of life by decreasing their pain.

Get To The Root of Your Chronic Pain

If this is something that you've just recently noticed this could be a sign of inflammation; however, if joint pain is persistent or you're experiencing regular flare-ups then you could be dealing with arthritis. Since arthritis has the ability to lead to long-term joint damage, it's important that you turn to a doctor right away. Our Victoria and Sugar Land TX, interventional pain management doctors 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin can help you manage joint pain effectively

Here are just two of the most effective solutions we offer to help you get your joint pain under control:

Whether your joint pain is due to arthritis or an acute condition such as tendinitis, you could benefit from physical therapy. 

Physical therapy provides customized exercises and ways to ease pain while also improving functionality and mobility in everyday life

. Our physical therapists can help to improve alignment, boost blood flow and reduce inflammation and pain through regular physical therapy sessions.

Along with physical therapy, we offer a variety of minimally invasive treatment options to ease both acute and chronic forms of joint pain. One way to provide fast pain relief is through joint injections. While our fellowship-trained interventional pain doctors will still want to determine the underlying cause of your joint pain, joint injections can still provide immediate and short-term relief, which can be beneficial for those dealing with chronic and severe joint pain. Joint injections should be used in conjunction with other treatment options and therapies including physical therapy, which can aid in recovery or maintenance of the disease, disorder or injury.

We offer a wide range of physical therapy options and joint injections to provide you with the individualized treatment you need. Once we've made a proper diagnosis, we can create a customized treatment plan that will help to improve how your body functions as a whole. We can also:

Show you proper posture to practice throughout the day, whether you're performing certain activities or simply sitting at your desk

Provide additional treatments and therapies including splints and bracing

Prescribe certain activities and exercises that are safe for those with arthritis and other causes of joint pain

Offer recommendations and ways to improve your environment (e.g. ergonomic chairs)

We understand just how important independence is for our patients, and we work with our patients to provide them with valuable and tailored exercises that will help keep them moving, active, happy, and independent.

If you are living with joint pain in Victoria, TX or the Greater Houston area, the team at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, and Brazos Pain Management can help you combat your joint pain. To schedule an evaluation with us, call 

Helping You Manage Joint Pain with Physical Therapy

If you are experiencing recurring or chronic hip pain there are several issues that could be to blame. Fortunately, our Victoria, and Sugar Land, TX, highly specialized, fellowship-trained interventional pain management physicians, 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin, can step in and provide you with a wide range of non-surgical solutions to manage your pain without resorting to surgery

Every time you walk, run, or move, the cartilage in the hip helps cushion the bone. Some conditions affect the cartilage causing friction and pain. The first thing we are going to determine when you come into our practice for an evaluation is the source of your pain so we can provide you with effective treatment options. Common causes of hip pain include:

Several injuries, conditions, and disorders have the ability to cause hip pain. You may experience hip pain in the buttocks, groin, thigh, or around the hip joint area. These are some of the questions your doctor will ask before diagnosing your pain:

How long have you been experiencing hip pain?

Do you remember when the symptoms first started?

Once we determine the cause of your hip pain, your doctors can craft a treatment plan that’s just for you. While simple conservative options such as over-the-counter pain relievers and ice therapy may be a great pain-relieving option for those with mild hip pain, we know that this isn’t going to be effective for those dealing with more moderate to severe hip pain.

For example, those dealing with rheumatoid arthritis may benefit from physical therapy, prescription-strength anti-inflammatories, steroids, and biologics.

Here at our Victoria and Sugar Land practices, we provide a variety of more intensive pain-relieving options. Steroid injections can be a great way to provide fast, effective relief from hip pain, which is ideal for patients dealing with hip pain due to osteoarthritis.

Those dealing with hip joint pain can also experience relief from radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that can provide long-term relief. The procedure itself usually takes no more than 20 minutes and doesn’t require anesthesia.

If hip pain is impacting your daily routine and causing mobility issues, our Victoria, and Sugar Land, TX, pain specialists, Dr. Almonte and Dr. Lin, at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, and Brazos Pain Management help improve mobility and reduce hip pain. To schedule an evaluation with our pain management team, call us at 

Discover Ways Our We Can Help Alleviate Your Hip Pain

Are you looking for treatment for your herniated disc? If you believe you have a herniated disc or are experiencing severe spinal pain after a back injury, schedule an appointment with your Houston or Victoria, TX, doctor. Finding the right treatment for a herniated disc can be hard. 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin of Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, and Brazos Pain Management are here to provide careful attention to your needs

. Together we can find a treatment path that works for you!

Your vertebrae are cushioned by round discs with a protective outer layer. A herniated disc occurs when a fragment of the disc nucleus is pushed out of that outer layer, into the spine. The deviated disc presses on spinal nerves which can cause severe pain depending on the location. This injury is most common in the lower back but it can also affect the neck.

Your disc may become slipped after a severe back injury. You might feel a dull ache, pain while moving, or severe spinal pain. The pain management specialists at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center and Brazos Pain Management will assess your injury and design a specialized treatment procedure. Your procedure could include a combination of the following types of treatment.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication

The most common forms of treatment for a herniated disc are noninvasive

. A healthy regimen of rest and physical therapy can drastically lower spinal nerve inflammation and ease your pain. It is important to keep this inflammation down to allow for the spine to heal. Anti-inflammatory medication can also help reduce pain and swelling, giving you room to actively heal your herniated disc with low-impact stretching activities. Dr. Lin or Dr. Almonte, in Victoria and Sugar Land, TX, can give you a definitive diagnosis to begin your specific treatment. Discuss the benefits of surgery, especially if you experience pain related to your herniated disc.

To learn more about the treatment options available for a herniated disc call Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center at 

. Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center is located in Victoria, TX, Brazos Pain Management, in Sugar Land, TX, in the Greater Houston area. Schedule an appointment today to get your backbone back!

Treatment for Herniated Disc & Types of Treatment

Two years in a row, our Physical Therapy Department at Victoria Pain and Rehabilitation Center has been voted Best of the Best in the Victoria Advocate by our patients and community.

Voted Best of the Best 2021 by Victoria Advocate

Dysfunction or inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, or SI joint, can often lead to pelvic or lower back pain. Since so many conditions and injuries can also lead to pain in the pelvis or lower back, it can be a bit difficult to pinpoint when the SI joint could be the cause.

Our Sugar Land, and Victoria, TX, experts are able to spot SI joint dysfunction and inflammation immediately, making sure that you get the proper pain management and care.

WHAT CAUSES SACROILIAC JOINT DYSFUNCTION?

There are several reasons for the dysfunction of the SI joint. These reasons include:

: this leads to pelvic pain and stiffness. Inflammation may be the result of an infection or a chronic inflammatory condition such as arthritis.

: if the joint is too mobile this can lead to instability, weakness, and pain. Those with a hypermobile SI joint may be more likely to experience pain in the groin, lower back, and hip area.

: limited mobility of the joint can lead to pain and muscle tension. Those with a hypomobile SI joint are more likely to experience pain on one side that may originate in the lower back or buttocks and run down the leg.

: A car accident or a bad fall that impacts the pelvis could also affect the health and function of the sacroiliac joint.

SI joint dysfunction is more commonly seen in women, particularly women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby.

Some of the warning signs and symptoms of sacroiliac joint dysfunction include:

Radiating pain in the hips, buttocks, and groin

Lower back pain that may occur on one side or both sides of the body

Stabbing pain around the thighs and buttocks that may mimic sciatica pain

Pain that gets worse with movement such as running

Limited mobility and stiffness in the lower back, hips, and groin that makes certain movements more difficult

If you suspect that you might be dealing with sacroiliac joint pain here in Victoria, Sugar Land, or the Greater Houston area, it's important that you turn to our pain management team and find out what's going on and how to best treat the problem. While rest, icing, or heat therapy can ease symptoms, we know that you want more long-term solutions that can improve symptoms and also prevent them in the future. Other ways to improve and alleviate SI joint pain include:

Anti-inflammatory joint injections (e.g., corticosteroid injections)

Dealing with lower back or pelvic pain that you think may be caused by SI joint dysfunction? If you would like an evaluation with one of our specialized pain management physicians in the Victoria or Greater Houston area, simply call 

What Causes Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction?

If you are experiencing pain in your lower back that extends down to the buttocks this could be sacroiliac joint pain. The SI joint connects sacroiliac joint painthe hips to the spine and helps provide support every time you walk, exercise, or simply move. 

If you are dealing with SI joint pain, our highly specialized, fellowship-trained interventional pain management physicians, Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin in Victoria, and Sugarland, TX can provide a variety of treatment options to ease your discomfort

SI joint pain can be the result of pregnancy, childbirth, an injury, accident, a bad fall, or spinal surgery. When pelvic movement is not the same on both sides, which may be the case if you have one leg that is longer than another, then you are also more at risk for SI joint pain.

Initial treatment options are going to be focused on more conservative approaches to see if they improve your pain. These solutions include:

Of course, if these approaches aren't working or if your pain is severe, our pain physicians serving the Victoria and greater Houston area can provide more effective treatment options. Steroid injections that are administered directly into the SI joint can be incredibly effective for reducing inflammation, swelling, and nerve pain. Patients often experience relief from their symptoms within a week of their first injections, and injections can be repeated a few times a year.

Radiofrequency ablation is another popular method that we provide to patients dealing with SI joint pain. Electrical currents are directed at the joints, which damages the nerves so they can't send pain signals to the brain.

If we've exhausted all nonsurgical treatment options and you still aren't getting ample pain relief, then we will discuss whether it's time to consider surgery. SI joint fusion surgery involves placing an implant to stabilize the joint.

If you are experiencing symptoms of SI joint pain, it's important that you turn to your qualified doctors who can pinpoint the cause of your pain. To schedule an appointment with our pain management physicians, Dr. Almonte and Dr. Lin in Victoria and Sugarland, TX, call Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, or Brazos Pain Management at 

Sacroiliac Joint Pain Treatment Options

Our bodies change as we get older, but not all changes are pleasant. As we age, our spinal discs can develop signs of wear. Unfortunately, this everyday wear and tear can result in a sometimes-painful condition known as degenerative disc disease. If you are dealing with back or neck pain and you're wondering why, our Victoria and Sugar Land TX, pain management doctors 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin can determine whether you could have degenerative disc disease and what to do about it

This condition occurs over the years, as a result of constant motion and stress on the spine. This normal wear and tear can lead to deterioration of the discs of the spine, particularly the neck and lower back. This is something that can and often does get worse as we get older. While this certainly sounds like an uncomfortable issue this is not considered a disease, since this is something that naturally occurs with age.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT I'M DEALING WITH DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE?

You may notice pain flaring up in the location around the degenerating disc. The pain may get worse for days or even weeks before weakening into a low-grade but persistent form of pain. You may also be dealing with degenerative disc disease if you notice:

Pain that gets worse when lifting, bending or twisting

Pain that is alleviated when sitting or lying down

Pain that gets worse with prolonged sitting but is alleviated by changing positions regularly

Pain that may radiate to the shoulders, hands, hip, buttock or legs

HOW IS DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE TREATED?

You'll be happy to hear that unlike certain conditions such as arthritis, degenerative disc disease will usually not lead to worsening pain or discomfort over time, nor will it lead to disability. Surgery is rarely needed, and our fellowship-trained interventional pain doctors can help ease symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease with simple non-surgical treatment options.

Some of the ways that our pain management team here in Victoria or the Greater Houston area will help you manage degenerative disc disease is with:

Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers

If you are dealing with back or neck pain that is worse when sitting, or you notice numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, you could be dealing with degenerative disc disease. Call Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, and Brazos Pain Management in Victoria or Sugar Land, TX today. To contact Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, call 

Dealing With Degenerative Disc Disease?

Sciatica pain can be excruciating. It can interfere with activities, and can even make it difficult to walk. Fortunately, there are effective sciatica pain treatments for sciatica pain. Our highly specialized, fellowship-trained interventional pain management physicians 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center in Victoria, TX, and Brazos Pain Management in Sugarland, TX, provide comprehensive medical services, including treatment for sciatica pain

Electric-shock, or pins and needles type of pain

Pain that occurs in your lower back, buttocks, and one leg

Sciatica pain is caused by compression of the sciatic nerve. A herniated or damaged disk or bone spur can press on the sciatic nerve.

Do gentle stretching exercises for your lower back and legs

Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and pain medication

For moderate to severe sciatica pain, you should seek out help from your doctor. Professional treatments for sciatica may include:

Minimally invasive lumbar epidural steroid injections to reduce inflammation

Don't get sidelined by sciatica, when relief is just a phone call away. To learn more about managing and treating sciatica pain, call Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin of Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center in Victoria, TX, at 

, and Brazos Pain Management in Sugarland, TX, at 

Helping You Manage Your Sciatica Pain

Neck pain can dramatically affect your life. It can happen suddenly, from obvious causes like a car accident, or it can increase gradually from medical conditions like arthritis. The good news is, whatever is causing your neck pain, your doctor can help you get relief. 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center in Victoria, TX, and Brazos Pain Management in Sugarland, TX, offer a wide range of medical services, including neck pain treatment

There are some easy remedies you can try at home to get relief from neck pain. Here are a few ideas:

Apply hot or cold packs several times each day

Use heating pads on your neck or take warm showers

Do gentle neck exercises like neck and shoulder rolls

For moderate to severe neck pain that persists, you should visit your doctor. Professional treatment for neck pain often depends on the cause of your neck pain.

If your neck pain is the result of a medical condition like arthritis, your doctor may recommend:

Imaging studies to determine whether your neck vertebrae are out of alignment

Wearing a neck collar to immobilize your neck while your muscles heal

Taking prescription strength anti-inflammatory or muscle relaxant medications

Therapeutic massage to relax tense muscles and boost circulation

Physical therapy to increase neck flexibility and strength

NECK PAIN AS A RESULT OF A MEDICAL CONDITION

Prescription strength anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxants, or pain medications

Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation

Electrical nerve stimulation to decrease pain

Lifestyle modifications like posture adjustment and neck exercises

Hot and cold therapy to reduce swelling and relax muscles

You can get relief from neck pain by calling Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin. You can reach them at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center in Victoria, TX, by calling 

Dealing With Neck Pain Even After Back Surgery?

Dealing with chronic back pain can be frustrating and at times unbearable. Unfortunately, back pain is one of the leading causes of back pain disabilities in American adults. If you've had surgery to correct the problem, you may be distraught to discover that you're still dealing with pain. Fortunately, our Victoria and Sugar Land TX, interventional pain management physicians 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin provide other solutions to help get your back pain under control, even after failed back surgery

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR BACK SURGERY FAILED?

If you are still dealing with rather persistent pain even after recovering from back surgery, or if the pain gets worse, then these are signs that back surgery failed. You may also notice symptoms of leg pain, as well.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT FROM OUR PAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICE?

When you come into our office, regardless of whether you've had back surgery before or not, the goal of Dr. Wilson Almonte, Dr. Ted Lin, and their team is to try and provide a definitive diagnosis so that we know how to proceed. We may require imaging tests, metabolic tests to look for thyroid function, and nutritional deficiencies.

There are many reasons for failed back surgery. Some of them include:

Too much rest and immobility after surgery

Addressing the primary pain problem with surgery but not addressing other underlying problems

The surgery didn't actually treat the underlying cause of the pain (or the diagnosis was incorrect)

You're dealing with back instability due to surgery

There are a variety of treatment options that we can employ that can effectively manage back pain even after surgery. Some of these include:

Spinal cord stimulator implants (can be incredibly effective for treating failed back surgery syndrome)

If you are experiencing back pain despite having undergone surgery here in Victoria or Sugar Land, TX, turn to Dr. Almonte and his team at Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, and Brazos Pain Management by calling today. To contact Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, call 

Dealing with Back Pain Even After Back Surgery?

Vertebral compression fractures most often occur in those with osteoporosis. However, car accidents and sports injuries can also leave you with these spinal fractures. As a result, you may be dealing with chronic back pain or you may even hunch over. While our Victoria, and Sugar Land, TX, interventional pain management physicians, 

Dr. Wilson Almonte and Dr. Ted Lin, can certainly provide you with a wide range of nonsurgical treatment options, sometimes kyphoplasty, a minor surgery, is necessary

WHAT IS A VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE?

In order to understand how kyphoplasty works you first need to understand what is going on when there is a vertebral compression fracture. Our spines consist of bones that help with shock absorption every time we move. Everything from osteoporosis to a bad accident can lead to a fracture in one or more of the vertebrae. In some cases, part of the vertebra may even collapse.

If you notice any of these symptoms after a severe accident or injury, or if you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it's important that you see your nearest pain specialists right away for an evaluation:

Pain that is alleviated or lessens when lying down

It's important to have your spine properly evaluated for a compression fracture, as untreated or improperly treated fractures of the spine can lead to permanent spinal deformities and nerve damage.

In most cases your doctor will create a treatment plan that contains a variety of nonsurgical treatment options including bed rest, wearing a back brace, and undergoing physical therapy. You may want to consider kyphoplasty for treating a vertebral compression fracture if:

Your compression is due to bone cancer or cancerous tumor

This is a minimally invasive procedure in which a small incision is made in the back. Then a balloon is directed through a catheter that has been placed in the fracture using guided imaging. The balloon will be inflated to move the fractured bone back into place. Once the balloon is removed, your doctor will fill the vertebra with cement to rebuild strengthen and reduce pain in the spine. It is a same-day procedure with a short recovery time.

Many vertebral compression fractures will heal on their own with time. If your back pain doesn't go away it's time to turn to your Victoria, and Sugar Land, TX, interventional pain specialists, Dr. Almonte and Dr. Lin. to discuss whether kyphoplasty is right for you. Call Victoria Pain & Rehabilitation Center, at 

Kyphoplasty For Vertebral Compression Fractures

Amanda (Mandy) Martinez is a graduate of The Victoria College Physical Therapist Assistant program

. She was born and raised in Port Lavaca and is now a resident of Victoria where she is excited to be a part of the Victoria Pain and Rehabilitation team.

Mandy loves meeting new patients and helping them reach their goals to increase their quality of living. When not in the clinic, Mandy enjoys spending her free time outdoors with her husband, Michael, their children, and pets.

Amanda (Mandy) Martinez is a graduate of The Victoria College Physical Therapist Assistant program...

Amanda Martinez, PTA

Physical Therapy Assistant

NEWS & INSIGHTS