|
|
|
|
American Association of Sensory Medicine
|
|
MISSION STATEMENT: Dedicated to improving patient care in the area of sensory related disorders by acting as a forum where physicians, scientists, and researchers can share information concerning diagnostic and treatment resources in the field of sensory medicine, including pain management, neurology, orthopedics, internal medicine and allied fields.
|
|
|
Message From the President
|
RANDALL C. CORK, M.D., Ph.D.
AASM President |
NBC NEWS January 2006: "Pain is the leading public health problem in America."
Sensory symptoms are the major compelling factor motivating patients to seek medical consultation. Back pain alone costs over $100 billion annually.
Just 25 years ago pain was considered merely an annoying byproduct of an underlying disease. Today many states require every physician, regardless of specialty, to take classes in pain management. The AASM was formed because many of us see that new medical innovations take too long to take root in spite of quantum leaps in medical technologies. This is true especially in today's consensus driven third party payment system. The AASM-ASEM champions promising technology by encouraging research and to allow members to share through our conferences and online newsletter.
The Academy of Sensory Electrodiagnostic Medicine fills a huge need in sensory diagnosis. Conventional EMG/NCV is defended by those who make their living performing these tests. There is no doubt that EMG and NCV are worthwhile technologies, but the problem is that these electrodiagnostic examinations (EDX) cannot test the small-pain-fibers which cause 90% of patient to seek medical consultation. Most patients have purely pain related symptoms without motor deficits, so EMG/NCV is of little to no value. However, Small-Pain-Fiber (SPF) Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) can assess these pain nerves. My colleagues and I carried out a three-year study at LSU Health Services Center in Shreveport. We found in 49 chronic low back pain patients, of which 25 were failed back surgery cases, that SPF-NCS has 95% sensitivity in locating the nerve root causing symptoms. In the LSU Pain Center SPF-NCS has literally replaced conventional EMG/NCV, and we perform half the number of MRI studies we did before its introduction. There is no question that this technology will in years to come save thousands of patients from becoming chronic pain suffers and save billions of dollars now being spend on misdirected interventions due to referred pain. For example, LSU pain patients are usually given SPF-NCS exams before physical examinations are performed. This has allowed us to not only direct interventions more accurately, but early on we found that many fibromyalgia patients have undiagnosed radiculopathies. When these radiculopathies are treated most of these patients find their fibromyalgia symptoms simply go away.
The AASM-ASEM Member Consensus will help educate third party payers of the merits of cutting edge technology like SPF-NCS and thus encouraging fair and equitable reimbursement.
We encourage you to join the AASM-ASEM. Be a part of an association that looks to a brighter future for the patient and the physician.
|
|
|
AASM Website
|
|
The AASM web site contains information about the association, the AASM Internet Newsletter, AASM Internet Peer-Reviewed Journal, and schedules of upcoming meetings, and certification workshops in sensory related diagnostic and treatment technologies. We are open to your comments and input, so if you cannot find what you are searching for, or would like to present ideas and/or comments please feel free to contact us.
|
|
|
|
